Disappearing Frost
by ariandula
Summary: Jewelry is disappearing from a touring gem show, and the Hardys are called in to investigate. Little did they know they'd meet up with an old friend. How will the cases collide? Where are the jewels going? And why can't Nancy stop thinking about Frank?
1. Chapter 1

**Here goes the first chapter of my first attempt... Any feedback is welcome and appreciated! **

**Thanks for reading! **

**- Amy  
**

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything you recognize.**

Disappearing Frost

Chapter 1

Frank Hardy tugged at the collar of his tuxedo shirt. He never was one for fancy functions, preferring the safety and comfort of a night cracking cases in front of his computer. He tried to stay focused on the man in front of him who was busy describing his latest selection and display of precious stones and gems, oblivious to Frank's discomfort. He had a hard time believing that this incredibly dry gentleman might be the jewel thief he was trying to uncover, so he politely excused himself and turned to peruse the room, checking out the other jewelers represented at the party.

Out of the corner of his dark eye, Frank saw a flash of red, triggering the wisp of a memory. Turning towards the source, he immediately felt all of the heat trapped in his tux rush to his face. Frank really shouldn't have been surprised to see her there, but after five years of silence it was difficult to look at the woman he was once in love with.

Frank considered his options. He could turn around, walk away, and hope that the sensations he felt would dim in relation to his proximity to her, counting on the fact that she hadn't seen him yet. He could greet her, acting aloof until he got a read on how she was feeling towards him and then proceed accordingly. Or, he could walk up to her, whisk her away in the waltz that the string quartet was currently playing, and disregard completely the last time they spoke face to face.

Frank sighed. That last one sounded much more like Joe than him.

_It's not as if we hate each other_, Frank reasoned with himself. _We just decided to take a step back and focus on our own relationships without distracting each other._ They hadn't known at the time that a step back would become five years.

He decided to go with option two. He figured that ignoring her would be immature, and there was no way he would be able to pull off a Joe, especially in a situation where he was already uncomfortable with himself.

Taking a deep breath, Frank took in the beautiful young woman across the room. Her long, royal blue evening dress fit her well, and her red hair fell softly around her shoulders. She was still petite, but he knew from experience that there was a strength hidden in her small frame that few people had. He tried and failed to avoid looking at her curves, which were much more defined now than when she was a teenager.

_Get a grip on yourself, Hardy_, Frank prepped himself. _It won't help to have your eyes plastered to her chest when you talk to her._

As Frank approached, she seemed to be deep in conversation with one of the many businessmen there like Frank, trying to buy or sell gems of all values. Unlike Frank though, these men weren't undercover, just rich.

Ten feet away. Five. She looked up right as Frank was close enough to hear snatches of her conversation, and it didn't escape his notice that she trailed off right as her light blue eyes met his.

Not knowing whether or not she was undercover like him, Frank decided to introduce himself officially, rather than behave as if she was the long lost friend she felt like.

"Hello, my name is Francois LeSeuer. I couldn't help but notice that stunning necklace you are wearing. I had to come over and inquire as to the jeweler displaying it."

Ever perceptive, Nancy placed her hand in his outstretched one for him to kiss, as her job as a jewelry model would dictate the proper behavior. His brown eyes held hers as he brought her hand up to his lips, barely brushing her skin with them. She felt her heart jump at the contact; his lips were incredibly soft. She had to stop herself from reliving memories of when those lips were on a more preferable location. Nancy collected herself and responded like the model she was playing.

"It's a Ryan's Diamonds original, and I am Amanda Bruni. Charmed."

The man she had been talking to failed to notice the sparks shooting between the two. He quickly became disinterested, leaving Nancy and Frank alone.

"So, are you enjoying the party, Amanda?"

"I am, thank you. There are so many interesting people to talk to," Nancy replied, with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

Frank had missed that look, missed Nancy. He was contemplating the consequences of throwing caution to the wind and telling her this when she broke into his thoughts.

"So, Francois, what does it take to get asked to dance around here?"

Frank blushed slightly, reminded of how alike Nancy and Joe were in some ways. Both were willing to be bold, whereas he was definitely not, if he could help it. But he obliged her, taking her hand again and leading her onto the dance floor as the quartet transitioned into another waltz.

Nancy could feel Frank's hand on her waist, warm even through her dress. She had asked him dance to avoid the awkward conversation that seemed sure to follow their introductions. What she failed to take into account were the feelings that would inundate her at being held by him again. She was almost a foot shorter than him, and her three inch heels did little to make up the difference. Her hand rested on his shoulder and she couldn't help but notice the firm muscle beneath his jacket. They danced to the one two three of the waltz, their bodies remembering how to move together seamlessly. It startled Nancy how quickly things felt normal as they floated around the dance floor. She looked up into his dark eyes and saw he was smiling at her.

"How did you get into the diamond modeling business?"

Nancy knew he was trying to discreetly ask what she was doing there. She wasn't sure she wanted to drag him into her current case. Even though talking (and dancing) with Frank was going well so far, she didn't want to fall into her previous, destructive patterns where he was concerned. But she knew he must also be on a case, and maybe his information would be able to help her.

"My company wanted me to explore the industry. I am supposed to learn what I can about the inner workings of the show so they can decide whether or not to invest in it."

"Oh? And what have you learned so far?"

"Just that models can be very territorial about their lighted mirrors."

Frank laughed at that. He could picture Nancy trying restrain herself from retorting back at a girl who was mad at her for being in her way when Nancy was only trying to snoop around. He also got her unspoken message: now is not the time to talk about the case.

"Do you have a business partner, Francois? Or are you in the diamond industry as a free agent?"

"I do have a colleague, but he is busy pursuing other ventures at the moment. Hopefully he will be joining me tomorrow to get a second look at the pieces I am interested in."

Nancy wondered what Joe was investigating on his own. It must be something pertaining to Frank's reason for being there, or he wouldn't be coming to join him so soon.

"It must be difficult to be here without him. I know how close partnerships like that can become."

Frank smiled. She always had understood what was below the surface. "Yes, it has been challenging to look for the best products without a second set of eyes, and I am looking forward to his return."

That smile devastated Nancy only a little. She was getting better at controlling her reactions to Frank, even if her heart hadn't had a chance to slow down since she first looked up at him.

The waltz was coming to a close, and Nancy knew she had already taken too much time away from her work to be with Frank. She needed to extricate herself from his strong arms and return to scoping out the models and jewelers for potential threats. _I wouldn't mind taking more time to scope out Frank in his tuxedo_, she thought to herself. All men looked better in a suit of some kind, but Frank took it to another level, filling out the shoulders while the lapels emphasized his trim waistline. _Stop it Nancy. Do your job, instead of acting like an adolescent girl with a fresh batch of hormones. _They just reconnected after five years. Definitely not enough time to be getting involved again. She didn't even know if he was seeing anyone or not. After all, she had asked him to dance, not the other way around.

Feeling insecure, Nancy stepped away and clapped as the quartet took a bow.

"Thank you for the dance. I have neglected my work for too long now, and must return to showcasing these diamonds. I trust you also have things to be doing."

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry to have kept you. I do have my own business to attend to." Frank was confused about the shift in Nancy's demeanor. _Maybe she doesn't want me to get the wrong idea,_ he thought, a pang going through him. "Perhaps I will see you at the next show?"

"I have been contracted until the end of the tour if necessary, so it's quite possible. Maybe we'll run into each other again. These things have a way of happening like that," Nancy said, the twinkle in her eyes returning. She took one last long look at Frank, and started to turn away.

Suddenly, a scream pierced through the quiet murmurs of the room. Frank and Nancy looked for the source, each wondering privately if this was the break they needed in their cases.


	2. Chapter 2

**I was blown away by all the kind reviews. They really are addicting. I know, Nancy was too short. I did it because I like the idea of Frank seeming really tall to her. But... enough people mentioned it that I edited out the exact number. So now you can picture Nancy at the height that makes you happy :) Don't forget to review and give me feedback!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a sunburn and a can of Solarcaine :(  
**

Disappearing Frost

Chapter 2

Every moving thing in the crowded ballroom seemed to freeze momentarily as the scream died out. Frank and Nancy scanned the room as the party slowly started moving again, as if coming out of a fog. It didn't take long for them to find the group that was rapidly forming around the young woman. Nancy recognized her from a couple of quick conversations in the dressing room, remembering her name as Brittany. There were a handful of models trying to calm her down, but no one seemed to know how to handle the situation.

Nancy knew that the only way she would be able to get any information out of her before security arrived was to appeal to the girl's needy side. She expertly weaved through the crowed, took Brittany by the elbow, and gently tugged her away from the group of prying eyes. Setting her down in a chair, Nancy pulled one for her over to face the girl and sank into it.

"Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?" Nancy asked, appropriately concerned. The girl was obviously not hurt, though shaken, and taking time for pleasantries was killing her, but Nancy knew she had to get her talking.

"I've just had such a terrible fright! One second it's there and the next it's not!" Brittany wailed through her tears.

"What's not there?"

"The bracelet I was assigned to wear! The client will kill me if they think I lost it!"

"Why don't you tell me what happened. Did you see anyone take it? Are you sure it didn't just fall off somewhere?"

Brittany sniffed. "Bracelets like _that_ don't just fall off. They make sure of it. And no, I didn't see anyone take it. I was dancing with some guy, and then about half way through he bailed and said he saw a man he needed to speak with immediately. I turned to go mingle with some other people and the bracelet was gone."

_Now we're getting somewhere_, Nancy thought to herself. She opened her mouth to ask another question when Frank beat her to it. In her haste to get to the girl she had forgotten that he was there. He must have followed her through the crowd.

"What did this man look like?"

Brittany squinted up suspiciously at Frank, who was hovering over them. "You don't look like security. Why do you care so much?"

Caught off guard, Frank attempted to channel Joe. "Well, uh, I just hate to see a pretty girl upset. Maybe I can find the guy and get it back."

Nancy snorted, and he shot her a glare. She coughed in an effort to smother her laugh. It was a noble, if amusing, effort, but Frank wasn't quite the master of the Hardy charm that his brother was.

Still eyeing Frank warily – though appreciatively, Nancy noticed – Brittany gave them as much of a description as she could remember. "He had brown hair, brown eyes, about average height. He sort of looked like you, actually, though not as tall and older."

"Is there anything else you can think of to set him apart?" Nancy asked.

"Not really, just that he was smooth, you know? Great dancer, good smelling, you know the type."

"What about the bracelet? What did it look like?"

"Oh, it was beautiful!" She gushed. It was obvious where her interest was in the conversation. "It was a combination of rubies and diamonds arranged together."

Suddenly two huge men appeared, requesting to speak alone with Brittany. Nancy knew that their time was up now that security was involved. They had proven to be uncooperative in the past and she didn't want to reveal her cover to them.

Frank offered Nancy his hand to help her up, and she felt her hand tingle again. That was bound to be distracting, so she dropped it as soon as she was standing and they were moving away from Brittany.

"And now I've really got to finish playing my role, or I won't have a jeweler client tomorrow."

Frank couldn't let her slip away right when he had found her again. "Can we meet up tomorrow? I'd love to talk further about your interest in the jewelry business. Perhaps we can share our experiences."

Nancy sighed inwardly. So much for keeping Frank out of her case and maintaining her distance where he was concerned. Though really, who had she been fooling in the first place? And she would like to see Joe again. "That would be nice. There is a small café around the corner. Meet me there tomorrow at 1:00. I would love to meet your business partner, as well. "

She saw the smile in his eyes before it reached his lips. "Yes, I believe he will have arrived by then, and even have time for the rest he'll undoubtedly whine about missing from traveling. We'll be there."

Nancy turned and headed back into the crowd, giving Frank a final grin over her shoulder. "Looking forward to it."

____________________________________________________________________________________

Upon returning to her hotel room, Nancy called Bess. She seriously needed to get some perspective on how to handle the Frank situation, as she called it.

"Nancy! How's Europe? Please tell me you've found some devastatingly handsome French prince to sweep you off your feet."

Nancy laughed uneasily. "They don't have a monarchy in France anymore, Bess."

"Okay, but the idea's the same. You can't tell me that you went thousands of miles away and you still can't find a guy that can handle you."

"Well, I did come across this one guy…"

"I knew it! Who is he? Is he foreign? What color are his eyes?"

"Bess, take a breath! Here's the thing…"

"Uh oh, not a thing. Nancy, no more things with every new guy you meet!"

"It's Frank."

Bess was finally silent on the other side of the connection. After a second Nancy heard her breathe out.

"Frank, Hardy? Frank, guy you haven't heard from him in five years, Frank? The guy you secretly loved but knew you couldn't because of Ned?"

"Yes, Frank Hardy. He was posing as some businessman, if you can picture that. And I'm not so sure I was in love with him. We were so young, barely out of high school when we parted ways."

"Why, what happened? There weren't sparks anymore?"

"No, there were sparks flying all over the place, at least for me. He didn't seem to want to let me slip away easily, either. I just don't want to jump into something with a guy because we have history. It spells disaster, and I want to focus on catching the bad guys right now."

"Nancy. You are in Europe; try to enjoy it a little. And if there happens to be a handsome guy who you could hook up with, all the better. Besides, this is Frank. Why not finally take a chance on it? You're not seeing anyone right now. Actually, you haven't really seen anyone for a few years. It is definitely time for some action."

"Well, I'm meeting him and Joe for lunch tomorrow to talk about our cases. No matter what, I am taking this slow. It feels so good to be around him again, Bess. I don't want to mess it up."

"You won't. How many times do these chance meetings happen to a person? You have to jump on him. It. I meant it!"

Nancy laughed. "Of course you did. And these chance meetings used to happen a lot, if you remember."

After catching up on Bess's life, Nancy said goodbye and hung up. She went through her normal routine – washing her face, brushing her teeth. But the whole time she couldn't help but notice in her reflection the pink in her cheeks that hadn't been there the night before.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The next morning, Frank awoke to the sound of his hotel room door slamming shut. Bleary-eyed, he rolled over and took in a slightly disheveled Joe with a very annoyed look on his face.

"What's the matter with you, little brother?" Frank croaked out, still in the process of waking up.

"I spend all night on a train in a foreign country with strange foreign people doing who knows what to this pretty face while I sleep, and that's all you can say?"

"Sheesh, I prefer you sleeping in until noon to cranky dramatic Joe at eight in the morning. And foreign people aren't any stranger than you are," Frank said with a laugh as he scratched at the stubble on his jaw.

Joe picked up the nearest pillow and chucked it at Frank, not caring that it fell several feet short. "So, while I was being potentially violated on a train, did you uncover anything?" He flopped on the other bed, stretching out his cramped legs.

"Well, there was another theft last night."

Joe perked up at hearing that. "Really? What happened?"

"Some jewelry model named Brittany lost her bracelet, probably to some guy who she was dancing with."

"That's it? Come on, I just had one of the most boring nights of my life. You've got to give me something interesting to make me care again."

"That's pretty much it. But we do have a lunch meeting with another one of the jewelry models at a local café. You may want to sleep off some of your crankiness first."

"I'm not cranky, I'm vexed. And after I get some food into this malnourished body, I intend to do just that." Joe made a move towards the mini fridge while Frank got out of bed and retrieved his electric razor.

"Oh, and Joe? You may want to shower first. You wouldn't want to offend our lunch date with that stench. And who knows what kinds of diseases you contracted."

"Very funny."

____________________________________________________________________________________

Several hours later, a freshly bathed Joe and a very anxious Frank walked down the narrow street to the café. When it was in sight, Frank paused.

"Hey Joe, I guess I should mention that our lunch meeting is with Nancy."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for all the reviews, they sure are incentive to write more! :)**

**Special thanks to: thedisneygirl, ann, IrishShamrock86, saphiretwin369, and ndhbfan for reviewing more than once!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a 1993 Cranberry Saturn and a black headband.  
**

Disappearing Frost

Chapter 3

"_Hey Joe, I guess I should mention that our lunch meeting is with Nancy."_

Joe stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Frank.

"What?"

Frank fidgeted. "The model we're meeting, it's Nancy. She's undercover on her own case and we're meeting up to talk about it."

Joe still hadn't stopped staring. "I've been in the same city as you for five hours! Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Frank had been asking himself the exact same thing since that morning. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Joe about it. He just wasn't ready for all the questions about feelings that would come with it, especially since he didn't have any answers.

"I don't know, I guess I didn't think it was a big deal." He started walking again, pulling Joe with him. He hoped the conversation would stop when they got to the café.

"Not a big deal! The one person you've pined after for years comes waltzing back into your life and all you can do is shrug?"

Frank laughed darkly to himself. Joe didn't know how right he was about the waltzing. "I have not been pining. We stepped back, I moved on. We have a professional relationship and we both want to solve our cases. Now can we please go in there so she doesn't see us having this conversation?"

Joe eyed Frank. Frank looked back innocently. But Joe was no fool; he knew Frank's eyes were a little too wide, his eyebrows a little too high, for the look to be genuine.

"Fine. But don't think you can get rid of my probing questions that easily. And after this meeting I'll just have even _more_ questions."

"Wonderful. Can't wait, little brother," Frank said as he opened the door.

Nancy was sitting at a small table in the corner, looking through a menu.

"Nancy Drew! You look even more beautiful every time I see you!" Joe called out as the brothers crossed the small room.

Nancy looked up and smiled warmly. She had missed the younger Hardy and his welcoming attitude, even if they occasionally butted heads. "Joe, it's been years. I hope I look better than I did then. But thank you." After getting a friendly hug, she took in the sight him. His blond hair was slightly damp, and he still had the physique he was known for. The playfulness in his blue eyes was clearer than ever. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Yeah, no thanks to Frank here, making me stay behind and catch an overnight train. It was dicey for a while there, I didn't know if I'd make it."

"Oh, really? I seem to remember you begging me to be the one to get a start on the new city so you could chat up all the models that stayed behind."

"Well, yeah, but obviously that didn't pan out, or I'd still be there instead of here."

Nancy rolled her eyes and smiled to herself. Some things never changed. Still, it was comforting to hear the brothers bantering in just the same way that they always had.

After ordering lunch, the trio got to the topic they were most interested in.

"So, who are you working for, Nancy?" Frank asked. He had been wondering that since last night.

"The CIA, actually. I've been an agent for a couple of years now, but this is my first shot at handling a case by myself."

"You don't have a partner?" Frank didn't think that sounded very safe.

"Well, there is a team of agents following the tour, but I'm mostly on my own unless I call for back up. They thought it would be easier to infiltrate the show that way. My job is to get in with the models and learn what I can. But what about you guys, are you working for your dad?"

"Yep, couldn't break away from the old man," Joe answered. "But seriously, we enjoy being able to work more closely with him and our clients than a different agency would allow."

Nancy took a sip of her espresso. "So who's your client for this case, one of the jewelers?"

"Not quite. We're actually working for the management company of the tour, specifically the section that handles insurance. We were just called in two days ago, which is why Joe was trying to get information from the previous city."

"Are you investigating the theft? That didn't happen until last night."

"Well, that particular theft didn't happen until last night. There have been a couple other similar ones, all with models claiming that the jewels were stolen off of them sometime during the party."

This was a surprise to Nancy. A surprise that shouldn't have been, and it annoyed her that her team didn't inform her, if they knew. "How come I didn't know about this?"

Frank heard the indignant tone in her voice and knew she was not happy with being unaware of something important. He tried to placate her. "The other models weren't so, well, dramatic about it. Neither of them were hurt, and they knew that if they wanted to keep their jobs they couldn't bring bad press to the show. The touring company wanted to keep everything as quiet as possible."

That made sense to her, even if she hated not knowing something they did. "So you guys are here to find the thief?"

"Can't get anything past you, can we Nan?" Joe laughed, while Nancy kicked him under the table.

Frank chuckled, but quickly stopped when he saw the look Nancy was giving him. He _thought_ she was joking, but didn't want to take the chance_. Especially since she looks so beautiful with the sun coming through the window like that_, he thought. "Yes, the insurance section hired us to find out who's taking them so they don't have to deal with a higher premium, which after all this will probably skyrocket."

Joe thought for a second. "So if you aren't here about the thefts, since you didn't know about them, what are you doing here?"

Nancy hedged, unsure of how much information she could share with them. But she knew that working together would make both of their cases go faster. "The agency received some intelligence about rebel attacks that will be occurring throughout Europe, and maybe the United States. We know it has something to do with this show. They think that somehow messages could be traveling from the radical group to the people doing the attacks using the tour as a ferry."

Attacks? This was much more interesting to Joe than some rich people losing their diamonds. "How are they doing that?"

"That's what I'm supposed to figure out. We're not sure at this point. It could be a model, or it could be a jeweler or businessman."

"Well, I'll keep my eyes and ears open for anything about it on the businessman front," said Frank, and Nancy smiled at him. She knew telling them was a good idea. She liked being able to bounce ideas off of them and always knew that she could count on their help. Also, it didn't hurt that it meant she got to reacquaint herself with Frank's encouraging smile.

"Thanks, it'll be nice to have back up close by again."

"We've always got your back, Drew," Joe said. "Besides, you know you'll need us to pull you over the side of a cliff at some point."

"I've been pulling myself over cliffs just fine for the past five years, thank you very much, but I appreciate the offer," Nancy laughed. Joe never stopped teasing her about that, and she had come to expect it. "So if Frank's a businessman, what are you going to be doing?"

"I will be getting the inside scoop," Joe said, with an air of self-importance.

Frank snickered, "Yeah, as a busboy."

"I am _not_ a busboy, I am a member of the catering staff!"

Nancy chuckled. "As fun as it is to listen to you guys bicker, and I mean that with all sincerity, I need to rendezvous with my team and let them know about the thefts. I guess I'll see you there tonight?"

Always the gentleman, Frank stood as she did. "Yes, we'll be there. I can't wait to see what jewelry you'll have on tonight."

She smiled. "Thanks, see you there." Nancy left the shop feeling lighter than she'd felt in a long time. Now if only she could figure out how it all connected.

Frank watched Nancy go, then turned to see Joe scrutinizing him. "What?"

" 'Can't wait to see you tonight Nancy,'" Joe laughed.

"Aw, shut up, Joe," Frank said as they exited the café and headed back to their hotel.

"Hey, I thought it was cute. She's really grown up, huh?"

"Yeah she has. You should see her all dressed up; she looks amazing."

"I'll leave that mental image to you, Frank. No need to picture my sister-figure in that way, thanks."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Uh huh. So getting back to our earlier conversation – what are you going to do?"

Frank looked at him and sighed. "I don't know. There are so many factors: Is she seeing anyone? Does she want to be? Does she even think of me that way anymore? Et cetera. I don't want to make her uncomfortable."

"You have a problem with over-thinking things. Do what feels right. The rest will figure itself out."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I really do. You and Nancy connect in a way that few people do. You've always been more than friends, even if other factors kept you from defining what you actually were, or wanted to be. Besides, it's been over a year since you and Callie split. She's moved on, you should too."

"Yeah, okay. But I'm not jumping in to anything here."

"Please. Snails move faster than you do in a relationship. Just think about it."

Frank felt relieved, though he wasn't exactly sure what over. Joe's approval? His validation of his feelings for Nancy? In any case, he realized that not talking to him sooner was stupid, and he was glad to have worked it out with the person who knew him best.

Joe noticed the change in Frank's demeanor. "Sheesh, what would you do without me?"

"Oh, probably analyze myself into a metaphorical hole I'd never get out of," Frank said with a laugh.

"Just call me your personal shovel."


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next installment for your reading enjoyment! Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who reviews. I respond personally to every single one, so please take time to let me know what you're thinking! (I can't respond to reviews from people without accounts through the site, but if there's some other way for me to contact you, I'll do that too!)**

**Oh - someone asked if there's a specific supermystery where the Hardys pull Nancy over a cliff. I wasn't entirely sure, but it seems like they're always pulling her over the edge of something. Anyone know?? If not, let's assume it was on one of their adventures that there isn't a book about.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own two maroon banana chairs and seven pairs of ballet flats.  
**

Disappearing Frost

Chapter 4

Nancy was running late when she rushed into the dressing room that evening. The debriefing with her team took a lot longer than expected. Having to be in meetings like that made her think working for her own agency like the Hardys might be a more productive use of her time and talents. Apparently they hadn't known there were additional thefts either, which seemed ludicrous to her. It was their job to know that information, and worse, they didn't seem to think it was important. She had a very low tolerance for people who weren't doing everything they could for each mission, and she hated feeling like she was one of them.

Quickly she threw her hair up into what she hoped was an elegant bun and applied layers of mascara and lip gloss. _So much for trying to impress Frank_, she sighed. _At least I know he's seen me look worse before and didn't seem to care_.

Nancy secured the thin ankle straps on her black heels and headed over to the jewelry issue, where the models were outfitted with that night's showpieces. She noticed with chagrin that she was last person to check in. Not the best way to maintain a low profile. The model manager, Charlotte, did not look happy when she was allowed through security into the room.

"Amanda, you are beginning a pattern of unacceptable behavior. I saw you shirking your responsibilities with that young man last night, and now you are wasting more company time by being late. A proper jewelry spokeswoman is always punctual." Charlotte looked Nancy up and down. "And, she is always meticulous about her appearance."

Nancy suddenly felt like she was back in high school, and hated the feeling. But, she couldn't do anything to jeopardize her position on the inside, so she held up her head and took it.

"You are absolutely right, Charlotte, I will be much more careful in the future."

"I expect you will. We won't stand for anything that makes this show look bad. I don't think I need to remind you that nothing here is permanent. And I'm not just talking about the displays."

Nancy clenched her jaw behind her smile. "Yes ma'am."

Charlotte smiled, as if she had bestowed some piece of wisdom upon a troubled youth. "Good. Now, quickly put in these earrings and get out on that floor."

It was a good thing she was wearing her hair up that night. Even so, Nancy's ears ached at the sight of the heavy earrings. More than anything Charlotte said, not having the last choice of jewelry was incentive to be on time.

Nancy entered the room, quickly scanning for any familiar faces. There were a handful of people she recognized, but mostly they were models and businessmen from the night before. No one in particular stood out.

She began the odious process of mingling with the wealthy, carefully working her way around the room. She had to make sure she got a good look at as many different people as she could, and if possible catch snatches of their conversations. It actually wasn't as difficult as she thought to eavesdrop. Models had the reputation of being empty-headed, and Nancy used that to her advantage. Most people – especially the kinds of people that would be at these parties – didn't take any notice of her floating around, assuming she was trying to find the best light to showcase herself.

_The sad thing is, a lot of these girls actually _do_ that_, she thought to herself.

_____________________________________________________________________________

As Nancy was undergoing the slow torture of polite conversation, Joe was becoming acquainted with the rest of the catering staff.

"Take these bottles of champagne around and fill glasses. No half pours, people. Buzzed clients are happy clients."

Joe accepted his bottle from the large, grumpy looking man in charge of distribution.

"He looks like _he_ could use a little champagne," Joe whispered to the man next to him. He was tall and looked like he should be doing time instead of pouring champagne. The man just looked at him with cold, dark eyes, took his own bottle, and walked through the doors to the hall.

_Okay –make joke about the boss, check. Alienate potential information source, check, _Joe thought, making his way into the fancy room. His goal for the night was to get in with the rest of the staff, hopefully enough so they start gossiping to him. _So far so good_, sarcasm taking residence in his thoughts.

Joe had a similar experience to Nancy. It seemed that people paid even less attention to waiters than they did to the models. But it helps when people are talking about things that are actually pertinent to the case.

Finding himself bored with his task after a couple hours, Joe located Frank over at one of the displays. To anyone else he would seem respectfully interested in whatever he was conversing about with the jeweler, but Joe knew he was about two minutes away from his eyes glazing over.

He interrupted the man and handed Frank a glass, already filled with champagne. Frank shot him a look; they weren't supposed to be drinking on the job. Besides, he didn't really like carbonated alcohol, a fact Joe was well aware of from college.

Joe decided to create a little fun of his own. Frank and Nancy hadn't been within ten feet of each other all night, so far as he could tell. Why not give them a push?

"It's from the young lady over there in green, sir. She is wishing you a good evening and would appreciate your company in the near future."

Frank looked over and saw Nancy chatting with a younger man. She was wearing a forest green dress that fell to her knees, with thick straps that crossed in the back. He wondered how girls got into clothes like that without getting all twisted. However they did it, he wasn't complaining; she looked incredible. Her soft neck was exposed, and he wished he could wind the few stray hairs falling on it back into her bun for her. She caught his eye and smiled quizzically as he failed to look away. They had been doing that all night, energy crackling between them, but neither gaze lingered once they had been caught.

"Thanks," he said dryly. But Joe didn't think he imagined the relief hidden in his voice at being rescued.

The older man had followed his gaze, and gave Frank a knowing wink. "I'll leave you to it, Mr. LeSeuer. That girl is a nice piece of - "

"More champagne?" Joe interrupted, almost overflowing the man's glass, even though it was obvious by his crass comment that he'd had plenty.

Frank's jaw was clenched, but he kept his thoughts and his fist to himself as they stepped away from the display.

"Take a breath, sir. One would think you were pretending to be someone less restrained than you obviously are."

Nancy chose this moment to make her way over and took in his unpleasant expression. "Someone say something to offend you, Francois?"

"You missed it, he was one word away from defending some model's honor." Joe said with a grin.

"I was not! I just didn't think a fellow gentleman should speak about a lady in those terms."

Joe rolled his eyes. "What ever you say, _sir._"

Frank looked at Nancy, noticing the tired look in her normally sparkling eyes. "So, Amanda, have you had an informative evening?"

Nancy looked up into his comforting face and shrugged. "Nothing to write home about. It's been about the same as last night minus the excitement." _And your company_.

"Speaking of that, how is that girl doing? Did she think of anything else?"

"Now that you mention it, I don't think I've seen her all night. When I talk to her in the dressing room later I'll mention you were asking about her," she said, smirking at him.

Joe looked suspiciously at Frank. "What did you do last night?"

Before Frank could defend himself, Nancy cut in. "Oh, he tried to flatter some girl into to talking to him."

Joe sighed heavily. "And here I thought I was irreplaceable to the whole arrangement."

"Well, badly, I must add."

"See, you should leave things like this to the professionals. You have your own, uh, _talents_."

The evening was coming quickly to a close, so the three agreed to meet up again the next day. Frank wasn't quite ready to let Nancy go for the night, even as she was heading to the service doors. He felt the strong need to walk her to her hotel. Hearing that man's description of her reminded him of the kind of men who were out there. Thieves were one thing, but assault was something entirely different.

"She can take care of herself," Joe said, reading his thoughts.

"I know. But she doesn't make it easy to stop worrying, does she?"

Joe laughed. "Well, she wouldn't be her if she did, and you wouldn't have that goofy look on your face."

Frank was past trying to deny it, but he could still ignore it. "Don't you have some glasses to wash?"

_______________________________________________________________________________

In the dressing room, Nancy approached a couple of girls that were chatting as they changed into street clothes.

"Have you girls seen Brittany? I didn't see her all night."

The taller girl with blond hair glanced around, then leaned in. "She doesn't work here anymore."

"What? Because of the theft?"

"Well, it's true that they were mad about the jewels being stolen, but mostly it was because of the fit she threw."

"Yeah, Charlotte was _mad_. She hates it when anything makes her look bad." The second girl's high voice was slightly nasal with a bit of a whine. Nancy thought it seemed oddly disproportionate to her less than stick-thin size.

"So she was fired, just like that?"

"Can't be too careful in this industry. Too many people waiting for you to mess up and take your place. It doesn't help that Charlotte's a little crazy about things like that, either."

Nancy thought about her earlier conversation with the woman and felt uneasy.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Frank and Joe made it back to their hotel room late that night. Joe was none too pleased with missing all the excitement from the night before, only to be rewarded with nothing.

As Joe went to pull back the covers on his bed, Frank turned on the TV and tuned in to BBC news.

"…Officials are unsure how many fatalities there were in the blast. The statement released only confirms that a bomb did detonate in the train station one hour ago…"

Both brothers stared at the screen in wordless shock.

Frank finally broke the silence, choking out, "I, for one, am glad you missed the excitement, little bro."

Joe had been in that exact station 24 hours previously.


	5. Chapter 5

**I appreciate all the reviews! They definitely encourage me to write faster, so, if you want the next chapter sooner... :) And again, I do still answer each one personally, and I actually really like feeling connected to my readers that way, you know?  
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**Thanks to Lady Emily and SinfulAshe for answering my question about the cliff - feel free to read the reviews and see their responses if you were wondering about the specific books. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a five-string electric bass and a trombone.  
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Disappearing Frost

Chapter 5

"Dad, you can tell Mom that I'm fine. I missed the bombing by an entire day."

"I know, son. She just worries about you two, that's all."

"I'm not sixteen anymore, I'm twenty two. Besides, I'm too good to have anything bad like that happen to _me_."

Joe could practically hear Fenton's eyes rolling through the phone. "Just don't give me any reason to give your mother bad news. Last year's close call with Frank was enough excitement for a long time."

The three of them had taken a case in New York about car hijacking. What started out as a plan to act as bait quickly turned serious as Frank got shot in his left arm. Apparently hijackers don't like it when you're not the old lady they expected.

"Yeah, okay, I got the message. We don't even have any solid plans at this point. The only thing we know is that there have been three thefts, and the last one occurred either while the girl was dancing or right after."

"What about the other two girls, have you spoken to them?"

"Well, I tried to find out who they were when I was in the first city, but I couldn't get anyone to talk to me."

Fenton laughed, "What, no girls falling all around you on this case?"

"Hey, I just got here. Give me a little time to get to work."

"Honestly though, I think that may be your best bet for more information. You have to find out who those girls were and if they were dancing with anyone first."

"Well, we do have someone on the inside who could help us with that," Joe said slowly.

"Oh? And here I thought you didn't know any of the girls yet."

"She's not exactly _my_ girl."

"Frank? I'm not sure I can believe that. Who is she, really?"

"Nancy's here, working her own case. Did you know she's CIA now?"

"I think I did hear that from her father. We don't talk as much as we used to, but we still catch up from time to time. So Nancy, hmm. How's Frank handling that?" Fenton mused.

Joe smirked to himself. "He almost punched some guy last night when he made a comment about her to him."

Fenton sighed. "Nancy always was the only person who could get that kind of reaction out of him. Well, besides his family. Just don't make fun of him too much, okay?"

"I know. I actually haven't seen him this happy in a while. I mean, he's acting completely weird, but happy."

Fenton smiled. "Good. See if Nancy will do some sleuthing for you. And don't forget to be careful."

"Okay, Dad. Tell Mom we love her. Oh, and you too."

Joe hung up right as he heard the shower shut off. Frank emerged from the bathroom a couple minutes later, towel wrapped around his slim waist.

"What did Dad say?"

"He wants you to get Nancy to snoop for us, find out who those other two models were."

"I thought of that, I just don't want to take her away from her own case."

"You know she won't mind. If she didn't want to work together she wouldn't have told us what she was doing in the first place. But… if you're uncomfortable talking to her for some unnamed reason, I suppose I could do it."

"That's ridiculous; of course I can talk to her."

_I should use that kind of persuasion more often_, Joe thought as he started packing his things.

____________________________________________________________________________

A couple hours later Frank and Joe met up with Nancy at the airport. The tour was moving on to a new city and new venue, so they were too. After going through security, they sat together in a coffee shop to plan their next moves.

"Did your team figure out if the attack last night is related to your case?" Joe asked, curious to learn more about Nancy's investigation.

"Well, there's no hard evidence to suggest it, but it's definitely being assumed for now. We don't think it's a coincidence that the tour left that city two days before it was bombed. They want me to cozy up to anyone who seems they might be passing information."

"Do you have anyone in mind?" Frank didn't really want to watch Nancy 'cozy up' to any of the businessmen found at those parties. He felt the sudden tightness in his chest loosen a little when he heard her answer.

"I want to look more into the model manager, Charlotte. She's a little obsessed about the whole tour and making sure things go smoothly. Some of the girls were talking about her and made it sound like she's not all there." Nancy pushed her long side bangs out of her left eye. When she got off this case she fully intended to get a trim.

This motion was not missed by Frank, who had been only mildly succeeding at not staring at her. He wished it were his fingers playing with her red locks. He settled for running his hand through his own thick hair, trying to get his mind focused back on the case.

"So, we were wondering if you mind doing some asking for us while you're at it. We need to find out who the first two models were and what they remember."

Nancy thought Frank looked cute when he was flustered. It didn't hurt that his T-shirt and jeans fit him so well, just barely defining the body hidden beneath them. This was the first time she'd seen him out of formalwear. She was very particular about how a guy wears his pants, and Frank received no criticism from her. Nancy blushed as she remembered watching him as he went through the detector in front of her. It had made some part of her want to come up behind him and squeeze…

Frank misunderstood this blush and hesitation as Nancy trying to figure out how to say no and tried to quickly backpedal. "Never mind, I shouldn't have asked. You have your own things to worry about."

This brought Nancy out of her daydream and she blinked at him. "What? Oh, no, I don't mind. I'll see if I can get those same girls to talk again. They seemed to be chatty, given the right amount of champagne and intrigue. What are you going to be doing?"

Frank thought for a moment. "I think I need to visit with some of the management, or at least someone who knows a lot about it. What we don't have is motive, other than having expensive jewels. Something tells me that there might be more to it than that, especially since it keeps happening so cleanly."

"So you think management is heading this up?" Joe asked skeptically. "They're the ones who hired us in the first place."

"No, but they probably have a couple secrets they didn't tell us in an effort to save face about something. That's usually how it goes."

"Yeah, true. I need to find out if any of the staff saw anything. I guess it's possible that the thief walked out the front door, but it seems more likely he chose a different route."

Nancy chewed on her straw out of the corner of her mouth absently as she thought. "See if any of the doormen saw anyone leave around that time. That might get you a better description of him, too."

Frank took the straw from Nancy, startling her. He wasn't exactly sure why, other than using it as an excuse to get closer, subconsciously. Feeling awkward, he stood up and threw it away. "We should be going, our flight leaves soon."

Nancy lagged behind as the three made their way to the gate. Her body was still overly warm, reeling from how close his hand had been to her face. If she had turned her head just a couple inches to the right, she would have had the contact with his warm skin she'd been missing since that first dance. It already seemed so long ago.

_______________________________________________________________________________

As they boarded the plane, Nancy turned to go to the front section.

"Where are you going?" Joe asked, suspiciously.

Nancy grinned at him. "As a model, I get to fly first class. So sorry that you're just the help."

Joe was indignant. "Just the help? I'm one of the most important people - "

Frank pulled on Joe's sweatshirt hood towards the other direction. He figured he should stop the squabble before it had the chance to elevate. "We know, you resent that. Nancy, we'll see you later." He gave her a final nod and turned around.

Nancy made her way to her seat, and noticed the two girls from last night sitting in the row across from her. They were pouring over a fashion magazine and gossiping about the latest celebrity happenings.

After the seatbelt light went off, she decided to make her move. The row in front of them was empty, so she moved to the window seat and opened up her own notebook. Instead of taking in the notes on the pages in front of her, she listened to the words in the air behind her, catching snatches of their conversation.

"… Charlotte didn't want her to stay on. She thought she'd blab about what happened."

"Yeah, but that one guy came and stood up for her. Did you see him? Older, but dreamy…"

Nancy sighed. None of this was helpful. She put on her best gossiping face and turned to peer between the two seats of her row.

"I couldn't help but hear. Are you talking about those horrible thefts?"

The girls glanced at each other. The tall one spoke first. "Yeah, haven't you heard? They want to fire the other two girls, but one of the vendors said he'd pull out of the show if they did."

"Do you know who they are?"

The whiny sounding girl said, "I don't know if we should be talking about this. I don't want to get fired."

"Chill out, Sarah. You know you were just as interested in the details when I told you."

Sarah leaned back in her seat and folded her arms, but said nothing.

"It's Gabrielle and Christina, over there." She pointed to two girls a couple rows up, who were sitting together and talking. "They've been spending a lot of time together since it happened. I guess they figure if they're only seen talking to each other Charlotte won't assume they're telling anyone else."

_Smart girls_, Nancy thought. _But I'm going to have to get around that_.

"Thanks, you guys are the best," Nancy said, flashing a smile. "I'm so bored, not knowing anything about what's going on. And don't worry, I can keep a secret. I like my job too."

Nancy turned around and took a couple notes in the book she brought with her. _Hopefully this will help Frank and Joe._


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks a million to everyone who reviewed! Gold stars to all. Sorry this chapter is a little later than normal, I just got back from a couple days in a cabin in Oregon. Oregon smells amazing, by the way. I feel very refreshed and even got some writing in. Don't forget to click the button at the bottom of the page that says review!  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own all ten seasons of Friends and a quesadilla maker.  
**

Disappearing Frost

Chapter 6

To the average observer, the party was in full swing, going off without a hitch. Couples were dancing, jewelry sparkled from the light of the chandelier, and champagne was flowing freely. What wouldn't be seen, though, was the careful studying going on among three of the participants. Reinvigorated by her talk with the Hardys, Nancy smiled at every person she talked to, keeping a watchful eye for anyone who might be passing information. Frank chatted up the jewelers as if he were one of the good ol' boys, listening for any hints as to the management's secrets. Joe kept clients happy with full glasses, completely aware that with each pour he loosened their tongues a little more.

Joe had tried again to talk with other members of the staff in their pre-party meeting, and he was only slightly more successful. He had the distinct feeling that some of them knew a lot more about what was happening than they let on, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. Whenever he tried to talk to any of them one on one, they suddenly clammed up and made an excuse to leave the room.

One of these times when he was talking to a waitress around his age, he glanced behind him and noticed the strange man from the night before glaring at him. He had learned his name was Tom Marsh. _Either he thinks I'm moving in on his girlfriend, or he doesn't want me asking any questions about this_, Joe had thought. _And he looks way too old to get a girl like her_.

As he glanced around the ballroom, he noticed Tom slip into one of the lesser used service hallways by himself. Joe decided to follow his instinct and find out what he was doing. He was in luck, as the French door was designed to swing inwards into the hallway, with no latch holding it in place to facilitate carts going back and forth. Joe nonchalantly leaned back against the door, as if he were taking a break from standing up straight. He quietly pushed back the door a crack and strained his ears to hear the conversation over the music.

"I told you, they weren't ready for tonight. I'll check on the batch tomorrow and it will be out in the room as planned."

The person on the other end must not have been happy with this answer, because he said angrily, "Marek can go to hell. I'm not doing this for him. Tomorrow."

He slammed the phone shut and yanked open the door. Unfortunately for Joe, this was before he had a chance to move, and he found himself falling into the man he was trying to avoid being seen by.

"What do you think you're doing?" the he growled, hate in his voice, his eyes hard.

"Oh, is that where this door goes? I was trying to figure out how to open it. Silly me, didn't think to push instead of pull," Joe chuckled nervously at himself.

"Get out of my way," he said, as he roughly brushed past him.

Joe stood there for a second longer, committing what he had just heard to memory.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Frank found the same jeweler from last night and began asking about the display. As much as the man repulsed him since his comment about Nancy, he figured that same lack of inhibition could work in his favor.

"You've been in this business a while now, haven't you Mr. Carlson?" Frank asked, trying to be interested.

"Why, yes, almost twenty years."

"So one could say that you know all the inner workings?"

"I suppose I have been privy to many of the details that make this industry run like it does," Carlson said with a hint of pride in his voice.

Frank noticed this and decided to use his vanity as a way in. "I can imagine a lesser man may have been sickened by all of the things that go on. Cheers to you, sir."

The man sniffed, self-importantly. "Yes, though I imagine all businesses have their own amount of unpleasantness."

"So knowing and seeing all that you have, being so well versed in how this all works as you are, what is your take on the recent theft? As a businessman I hesitate to involve myself with scandal."

"Careless people. That's all it comes down to. Though with the insurance policy each jeweler has it's not like they've lost any money. Add on top of that the insurance the touring show has, they might have even made a tidy sum. Thinking about having something stolen myself."

This was not the direction Frank had intended to take the conversation, but chose to see where it led.

"Are you saying that someone intentionally had jewelry stolen for the kick back?"

"Well, now, I was making a joke, mostly. A jeweler takes pride in his work. The pieces on that floor have been slaved over for many hours. No one wants their work of art stolen from them."

Frank wasn't quite sure if he believed him, if the money was as major as the man made it sound, but conceded that it was unlikely that someone would want to lose their wares and the time that must go into each one.

"Which jewelers were the ones that lost their pieces?"

The man scratched his head as he thought. "I think the first two pulled out after that first city. Since they came upon problems the management released them from their contracts, so long as they didn't stir up trouble for the show."

Frank knew that wasn't a lot of help to them at this point. "What about the third?"

"That would be Lorenzo's business, Musafia's Designs, I think it's called. He's a supplier for a lot of the smaller businesses. Old fox been stealing my clients for years."

Frank thought of something. "You don't seem too worried about someone stealing from you."

"Well, especially not anymore. I doubt they'll be interested in what I've got," he said tugging on his graying beard.

This was puzzling to Frank. "Why do you say that?"

"I don't pretend to have the mind of a criminal, but it seems to me that the guy's after rubies. I deal only in diamonds. Now, diamonds are everywhere, but not rubies, and every piece taken had a lot of them." Carlson's drink seemed to be flowing through him now, as he began to lose focus in the conversation. "Say, whatever happened to that girl from last night?" he said, nudging Frank in the ribs.

Frank stiffened. "That, sir, is none of your business."

"Ah, touchy. I suppose I can respect a man who doesn't smooch and tell."

"Yes, well, thank you for taking so much time to chat with me. I see you are busy and will let you get to more clients," Frank said, then swiftly stepped away. Mr. Carlson didn't seem to notice that there wasn't actually anyone else near the display.

As he meandered through the ballroom, he considered what Mr. Carlson said. It would take a jeweler to understand the connections between the pieces stolen. As much as he disliked the man for his attitude towards Nancy, he realized a working relationship with him could be valuable. He wasn't sure what the specific appeal of rubies was, but maybe there were other similarities that they hadn't considered.

Frank searched the groups of people, looking for Nancy. He was thinking about asking her to dance again, if she wasn't busy. He hadn't been able to get that first dance out of his mind. Her feminine body fit so perfectly in his arms, and he had wanted to hold her to him forever. She had been absent from his life for too long, and he decided that somehow he had to stop that from happening again once this case was over. He couldn't stomach the thought of letting her go away to where he wouldn't be able to keep her safe. But he knew from experience that Nancy could keep herself safe. Her independence was one of the things that he admired most about her, but it was also one of the most frustrating.

He finally saw her, talking to a middle aged man who looked very in control of everything going on around him. The man practically oozed power. He turned around more fully, and Frank saw that it was Alan Pinkston, the head of the insurance division for the tour. He was the man who had officially hired the Hardys, even though he had never met them in person. Frank hesitated before making his way over to them, figuring he could just brush by if Nancy gave any indication to leave her alone.

Nancy saw Frank in the background, her mind flashing back to that first night. But she knew she couldn't allow her mind to wander, this man was too important. Frank had mentioned a need to get to know the management, and here was her shot. Mr. Pinkston had approached her with a glass of champagne - which she still held without drinking - inquiring about all the normal questions one might ask on a first date. She knew he was trying to flirt with her, and she actively pushed back the bile threatening to rise in her throat at the thought of it. Ever since the moment Frank touched her, her body hadn't wanted anyone else to.

So far, instead of talking about himself, Mr. Pinkston had been asking slightly intrusive questions about her. It was annoying and forced Nancy to think quickly, but she had been well trained for situations like this. Seeing Frank coming towards her was a welcome relief and she was just about to excuse herself to meet him when Charlotte marched up to them. She saw Frank discreetly change course, passing by close behind.

"Amanda, what did I tell you about wasting time?"

"Relax, Charlotte. I was just getting to know the girl," Mr. Pinkston said calmly.

Nancy saw an odd look pass between the two of them. She looked livid, while Mr. Pinkston seemed to telling her to play it cool with his intense stare. It always amused Nancy when people who obviously weren't trained tried to be subtle. Charlotte didn't seem to agree with him.

"Well, Mr. Pinkston is a very busy man with many important people to talk to. He doesn't have time to answer your questions," she said with a huff.

The quartet took a final bow and left the stage, signaling the end of the party. Nancy used this as a reason to excuse herself. As she walked away, she glanced back at the two and noticed them talking in tense whispers.

_________________________________________________________________________

Joe made his final turn around the room, filling any last minute requests for drinks and chatting amicably. As he was about to turn into the service hallway to clean up, one of the models came up to him, blocking his way. Joe was surprised, but definitely didn't complain. She was brunette, with legs for days. _Now we're getting to the part I signed on for_, he thought.

She gave what to him seemed like a seductive look and held out her glass, saying in a thick Italian accent, "Would you care to fill me up?"

Joe suddenly felt very warm. It had been a while for him, and he wouldn't mind mixing in a little bit of pleasure with the case on this trip.

He grinned at her and held her glass as he poured, trapping her hand under his. "I'd love to. And you are…?"

"My name is Gabrielle. I have been watching you, but you never seemed to notice me." She added the slightest pout to her expression.

Joe thought fast. This was one of the models who had been stolen from. He actually hadn't noticed her, because of his distraction with the strange waiter. _Don't screw this opportunity up, Joe!_ _"_I definitely noticed you. I just thought a beautiful woman like you would be out of my league. But I'd be willing to prove myself wrong."

He was still holding the glass and her hand, and she brought it up to his lips for him to taste. "First you must prove it to me. Meet me tomorrow for lunch. There is a restaurant in the hotel."

He took a sip of the champagne, his eyes never leaving hers. "Name the time."

"12:00. Don't be late." She pulled her hand and glass away from him and turned, never looking back.

Joe thought he might need a cold shower the minute he got back to his hotel. He started to continue through the service door when something caught his eye.

He glanced behind him and felt like he had been doused in the frigid water he needed. Tom Marsh was glaring at him, hate boiling in his black eyes.

**Come on, you know you wanna review... :)**

**Thanks for reading! **


	7. Chapter 7

**I wasn't too sure about the last chapter; it was big and had a lot of stuff in it. But this chapter is more lighthearted, though there's less mystery. Please review and let me know what you like best!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do now own copies of five super mysteries! Yay for used bookstores!**

Chapter 7

Frank awoke to a soft tapping on their door. _Why does this keep happening?_ he grumbled to himself. He glanced over at the other bed as he got up and noticed Joe was still asleep. Pulling on a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt, Frank opened the door without checking the peephole.

"Wow, Frank, no need to dress up for me or anything," Nancy said, her blue eyes dancing.

Frank looked down at his clothes, suddenly self-conscious. He didn't realize that she'd be coming by already. They had found rooms in the same hotel and agreed to meet up this morning.

Nancy, though, didn't mind in the least. Frank was leaning casually against the doorframe in clothes he probably just threw on, and she realized that there was no longer a teenage boy in pajamas standing in front of her, but a young man. There was something secretly enjoyable about Frank dressed so comfortably with her. She noticed the dark stubble along his strong jaw, stubble he usually completely shaved off, and her fingers itched to feel the rough texture scratch her skin.

"What are you doing here so early? Did you find out something?"

"Early? It's ten o'clock! I've been up for two hours already. I figured you would have been too." Frank and Nancy were always the early risers of their detective groups.

Frank yawned, covering his surprise. He hadn't realized he slept so late. "Oh, well, I guess I'm still jetlagged. Come on in. Joe's still snoring."

Nancy looked closer at his face as she walked past him into the room. Frank never had that much of a problem with jetlag in the past, though that was a long time ago. But he did have circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept more than a couple hours.

Frank noticed Nancy scrutinizing him and ducked his head. He was fibbing about the jetlag. In truth, he had been having nightmares. He knew that Joe was fine, but for some reason seeing the destruction of the train station on the news really got to him. He had hated leaving Joe behind in that city in the first place, and Joe was almost blown up because of it. And even more disconcerting, right when the bomb was about to go off next to Joe in his dream, he transformed into Nancy.

"So what do we do about sleeping beauty, here?"

Nancy looked at Joe sprawled out on the bed and smiled a little wickedly. "I have an idea. Just keep quiet."

She kneeled next to the bed, next to Joe's sleeping face. "Joe… wake up honey."

Joe made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a snore, but didn't open his eyes.

"Come on, don't you want a repeat of last night?" She purred as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I don't remember there being a last night. But if this isn't a dream, you're welcome to remind me," Joe mumbled.

"You don't remember? You said you loved me!"

This caused Joe's brain to start working a little more, as alarm started in. He didn't _think_ he had had any champagne, and certainly not that much. But then again, now that his brain was working, he realized that voice sounded familiar…

Joe cracked an eye open and saw Nancy's grinning face _way_ to close to his. She had definitely seen his moment of panic. "That wasn't nice."

"Oh, but it was fun. You should have seen your face. Problems with forgetting girls in the morning?" She said as she got up and sat down in a chair.

"Of course not. What do you take me for? I always remember the girls." Joe sat up, his blond hair sticking up comically on the back of his head.

"Cute," Nancy remarked.

"You know it."

Frank had been watching this entire situation with laughter, but a touch of jealousy. He had a hard time bantering with girls the way that Joe did so easily. Most of the time he thought Joe was ridiculous, but sometimes he wished he could joke with Nancy like Joe. _But, _he reasoned,_ they do act more like brother and sister, and I definitely don't want to be that to Nancy. _Even so, Frank wanted to move on from the thought of Joe and Nancy joking about sleeping together.

"Okay, as much fun as this has been to watch, let's talk about last night and what to do now. Are you hungry, Nancy?" Frank started to move towards the mini fridge, then realized they hadn't had a chance to put anything in it yet.

Nancy held up a paper bag. "I figured you guys wouldn't be able to function without food. I'm sure _that _much hasn't changed, so I ran down to the breakfast room and brought you back some."

Joe was out of bed instantly, reaching for the bag. "I forgive you for earlier, as long as you brought bacon."

The trio sat around the little table in the room, discussing what each had experienced the night before. Nancy filled them in on the suspicious conversation between Mr. Pinkston and Charlotte, while Joe relayed the phone call he overheard.

"Marek… I feel like I should know that name somehow. What did he say again?" Nancy asked, munching on a roll.

"Just that he had to check on something today, making it sound like he was supposed to report to someone named Marek." Joe said with his mouth full.

Nancy just looked at him, amused. "Sometimes it amazes me that you get girls at all."

"Thanks ever so."

"Do we have any way to figure out where Marsh is going today, or when?" Frank asked, trying to get them back on track.

Joe remembered to swallow this time. "Here's another reason why I'm brilliant. Last night when I went out in the hall to get ice, I saw him using his key card to get into a room farther down the hall. I don't think he noticed me. So we know where his room is, just not when he's going out."

"I guess we could stakeout the lounge by the end of the hall and wait for him to go by to use the elevator or stairs," Nancy suggested.

"He knows me, so there's no way I'd be able to get away with it. You two will have to do it on your own. And to think I was so looking forward to waiting around for hours today. Darn."

Frank shot Joe an annoyed look. None of them really liked being on a stakeout; it meant a lot of waiting around with nothing to keep busy. "Fine. So what are you going to be doing in the mean time?"

"I have a lunch date," he glanced at the clock, "in about an hour, actually, so I need to shower."

"But you just ate breakfast!" Nancy said incredulously, as Joe continued filling his mouth with bread.

"Nancy, how long have you known me? There is no bottom to the pit that is my stomach. Especially with food as good as it is here."

Nancy shook her head in mock disbelief while Frank asked, "So who's this important date with, anyway?"

"Gabrielle."

"One of the girls we've been trying to track down?" He asked, getting a little more interested in the prospect of Joe learning more for the case.

"Exactly. See, unlike you, I can multitask while on a case. Get the girl, get the information. It's a win-win situation for all of us." Joe said, as he headed into the bathroom.

"Joe, if Nancy and I are going to stake out Marsh, I need to go first. We don't know when he'll be leaving. And you know you take forever in the shower."

"Not a chance, bro, I called it. Besides, if I'm going to get anything out of Gabrielle, I need to look the part."

Nancy watched the argument with surprised amusement. Two adult brothers fighting over the bathroom! _I suppose since they get along so well about most things, they've got to have something that keeps them from being perfect siblings, _she thought.

She hid her smile behind her hand. "Joe, you stay here and primp to your heart's desire. Frank, you can use my bathroom. I'm already set for the day, so I don't mind."

Frank looked a little sheepish. He knew the whole thing was ridiculous. "Usually I'm up way before him, so this isn't a problem. But thanks, just let me grab some clothes."

Nancy thought over the name Marek as Frank was using her shower. She couldn't help the feeling that she should know it. But mostly, she was trying to distract herself from the fact that he was using her shower, just a few feet away, and failing miserably. This became impossible when he opened the door wearing only a towel around his waist, his hair still dripping.

Frank colored when he saw Nancy staring at him. "Sorry, I forgot to bring my clothes into the bathroom with me."

It took Nancy a moment to find her voice. Frank had always been more wiry than Joe, but since she saw him last he had definitely filled out. His chest looked firm and strong, while his skin was taught over the slight ridges of his abdomen. There was a sprinkling of fine, dark hair that started at his navel, tracing down the center of the V of his hips until it was hidden by the towel. Nancy looked back up at his face right before she finished following the trail with her eyes. _Definitely no longer a teenage boy._

He had been watching her appraise him, and though he was a little embarrassed, he found it thrilling that she seemed to like what she saw. He felt a strong desire well up in him to close the short distance and press his lips to hers. Her gaze hadn't left his face, and it seemed like they both wanted it…

"Um, that's okay. You can change in here. I'll go out to the lounge to start watch just in case." Nancy said, talking fast.

She quickly ducked out of the room, her face burning. She knew he was thinking about kissing her, and she was thinking about letting him. It was Frank, after all. But, the timing was wrong. They're on a case, and supposed to be watching for Marsh. They couldn't afford to get carried away now. She pushed back the other thought, that she wasn't sure she could let her heart go again.

Frank joined her in the lounge a couple minutes later. He wasn't sure what happened back in Nancy's room, but as he dressed he had realized it was probably good that it stopped. He didn't even know if Ned was still in the picture even though she hadn't mentioned him, and he had no intention of making that mistake again. And judging by the heat in their shared looks, it might have become a bigger mistake.

He was gathering the courage to ask about Ned when Nancy interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, isn't that the man Joe's been talking about?"

Frank looked up and saw a tall, slightly scary looking man striding down the hallway. "Yeah, that's him," he said grimly. "Let's go see what he's up to."

**Okay, so I'm a little nervous about getting into a F/N relationship. I don't want it to be too much, but they're not teenagers anymore, you know? What do you think?  
**

**Thanks for taking time to review!  
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	8. Chapter 8

**I've figured out a posting schedule so I don't burn myself out. I will post a new chapter every Wednesday and Sat/Sun, so twice a week. I will do my very best to stick to it until this is finished. **

**Many MANY thanks to those who reviewed chapter 7 - Lady Emily, ann, Gotta Dance 88, saphiretwin369, and Missy**

**Feel welcome to let me know what you think - reviews are VERY appreciated! :)  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own four hair clips and a wok.  
**

Chapter 8

"Oh, Joseph, you are so funny!"

Joe ducked his head, feigning bashfulness. "Nah, you just bring out the best in me, Gabrielle."

Lunch was going well so far, even if Joe hadn't had a chance to get much information. She kept wanting to talk about her modeling career. As beautiful as she was, he couldn't help feeling a little bored. He wasn't _completely_ superficial in what he liked about girls, even if that was his reputation.

"So, I've heard a little rumor that maybe you wouldn't mind indulging me by explaining," he said playfully, trademark smile flashing.

"I never would have taken you for a gossip! But alright, you have twisted my leg."

Joe blinked. "Arm. Twisted your arm."

"Aw, yes. You Americans have such silly expressions," she giggled.

Joe smiled encouragingly at Gabrielle, hoping to sound innocently curious. "Some of the staff have been saying that you were the first woman to have something stolen off of you."

Gabrielle looked uncomfortable. "Well, yes. I do not really like to talk about it though. This is the most stable job I have had and I can't afford to lose it."

"You'd get fired for talking?" Joe asked. He knew her answer could confirm Nancy's suspicions.

"Charlotte cares very much for the success of the show. She will not let anything make her look bad."

"Well, how about just a couple more questions, and then we get on to more interesting topics." Joe winked at her, sparking another fit of giggles. "What was stolen? And do you remember if you were dancing with anyone around the same time you noticed it missing?"

"Well, it was a bracelet, and I remember that it seemed very heavy. That's how I realized it wasn't there – the missing weight. I was dancing with a blond man, probably around thirty years old, before I noticed it gone."

"Did he excuse himself from the dance early?"

"No, I don't think so. But Charlotte did ask to speak to me, right after it ended. She seemed mad that I was taking time to get to know the clients, which is ridiculous, if you ask me. You would think that they'd want us to let people get a closer look at the jewelry."

Joe thought for a second, while she played with her own gold necklace. There was a charm shaped like the letter M in diamonds attached to it. He noticed absently that it seemed expensive for a struggling model, but it was probably a gift from one of her many admirers. Back on the case, he remembered that Brittany had described the man as dark haired. "You said he was blond?"

"Yes, a very light color. He was also a little stocky, you know? Not heavy, but he definitely didn't work out." She frowned a little, as if the thought of a less than perfect man displeased her.

To Joe, that made it sound like they were looking for two different jewel thieves. This case kept becoming more complicated with each new piece of information.

She pouted, then smiled in that way that was becoming familiar to Joe. "But enough about all of these scandalous things. Tell me, where would a nice American boy take a not so nice Italian girl after a lunch date?"

Joe grinned, both inside and out. He wasn't planning to take things too far with her, but it never hurt to have a little fun. "Check, please?"

________________________________________________________________________________

Frank and Nancy tailed Tom Marsh to one of the public squares in the city. They watched from across the square as he ducked inside a little shop. The sign above the door said, "Bon Losee, Fine Jewelry."

They noticed a small deli next door, so they decided to grab some lunch of their own as they waited for him to emerge. From where they sat, they were able to see inside the big display window to where Marsh was talking with one of the store employees.

"What do you think he's doing inside a fancy jewelry shop?" Nancy asked as they watched. It wasn't surprising to her that the awkwardness between them from earlier already passed. They fell easily back into the pattern of ignoring any attraction.

"It looks like the worker is going into a back store room. Maybe he had something special ordered."

"I can't imagine a man like him having a sweetheart to give jewelry to. He gives me the creeps." Nancy shivered involuntarily.

Glancing inside, he saw Marsh preoccupied with a magazine while the clerk was still in the back. _Here's my chance to ask_, Frank thought. He took a deep breath, then plunged. "Speaking of sweethearts, how's Ned?"

Nancy froze momentarily. It still hurt to think about what happened. _So much for avoiding awkwardness._ Composing herself, she answered evenly, "As far as I know he's fine. I haven't heard from him in a couple of years."

Frank's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

There was a pause. "Things didn't end exactly well," Nancy said reluctantly.

Frank felt uncomfortable about prying into Nancy's personal life. He knew it wasn't his business, so he tried to change the subject. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. How are your dad and Hannah?"

"They're fine. But really, Frank, it's okay. It's just a little raw still, even though it's been long enough. Besides, Bess has been pushing me to talk it out instead of ignoring it." Nancy added, dryly.

Frank smiled as he easily pictured the short blond and her pushy ways. "Okay then, what happened?" He really did want to know, but he hated the look of self-doubt that crossed her face as she thought.

"It was my fault, really. I don't blame Ned. You know that I always had the best intentions, but I was never the girlfriend that he deserved."

Frank frowned. "That's not true, you loved Ned. Anyone who knew you knew that."

"I wasn't always the most faithful." Nancy gave him a pointed look.

He squirmed inside a little, but didn't say anything. As much as he valued that memory, he hated that it always came with a wave of guilt. Apparently Nancy felt the same way.

"It was right after I joined the CIA. He didn't like it, but he was supportive as always. I was supposed to go on a mission, I can't remember where, but he needed me to come with him to visit his sick grandfather. I didn't come. He waited for me, but I was late coming back from the trip."

Nancy paused and made a weak effort to reach for her drink, then stopped.

"When I walked in our apartment he was there sitting on the bed, his bags packed. 'It looks like you over packed for just a trip to your grandparents,' I said. I didn't realize it was because he had packed all of his things."

"And he left, just like that?" Though Frank had never wanted to sit in a circle singing Kumbaya with Ned, he had always had a healthy respect for him and how he treated Nancy.

"Well, no. We argued, we talked, we cried, and then he left." Nancy gave a half-hearted smile. "Like I said, it really was my fault. When I stop to think about how things actually were, it's a miracle he stayed around as long as he did. I was always gone, and always with other guys in strange situations. I never did deserve him."

Frank could understand her point of view, even if he didn't necessarily think it was entirely accurate. He had often felt that same way with Callie. The lifestyle they both had was unfair to anyone special in their lives.

Nancy must have read his mind, because she broke into his thoughts asking, "What about Callie?"

"We're not together, but it wasn't any big blowup. We parted amicably when we graduated college. She got a job in California and I had already decided to work for Dad. It didn't make sense to try to make it work. As far as I know she's still in San Francisco."

Nancy smiled. Frank was nothing if not logical, even about relationships. It was good to hear that he hadn't had the same fallout she had, though she suspected breaking up had affected him more than he let on.

She reached across and covered his hand with hers. Frank looked down in surprise at the warmth, then back up at her face. Here she had poured out a painful memory and then turned around to comfort _him_. He opened his mouth to say something when a sparkle from inside the shop caught his eye. Marsh was standing at the counter examining something the clerk held out to him. He said a few words, threw down a wad of Euros, and then briskly left the shop.

Nancy had followed Frank's gaze. "We need to get in there and see what he was looking at," he said.

She grinned at him and stood, holding up their joined hands. "Just follow my lead." Frank grinned back. _Just like old times_, he thought.

They walked into the shop and the little bell above the door dinged. Instantly the man was at the counter.

"How can I help you? A lovely necklace for your lovely neck?" He glanced between them. "Something to symbolize your love, perhaps?"

"We were just walking by your quaint little shop here and couldn't help but see that amazing piece of jewelry you were just showing that man through the window. I've never seen anything like it. Would you mind showing me?" Nancy gushed.

"Well, madame, I must tell you, that piece is not for sale. It was commissioned and entered as my contribution to the show that is in town tonight."

"Oh, I've heard about that! I'd never dream of being able to go. Don't you think you could give us a little peek? I would be honored to get a personal look at something so famous." Frank tried to keep from laughing. Nancy was laying it on a little thick, but it seemed to be working. The man was puffing up like a peacock.

"I suppose I could give a pretty young woman a look," he said, winking at her. While he was gone, Nancy smirked up at Frank. All he could do was smile.

When he returned from the back room, he carried a medium sized velvet case. Placing it on the counter, he opened it, displaying a large bracelet. It was encrusted with diamonds and rubies in a pattern that seemed to be lacking any design.

Frank spoke up, unable to contain his curiosity. "Why are the jewels arranged the way they are?"

The man stiffened, believing that Frank was criticizing his work. "The pattern was commissioned. Apparently it is very important to him, and I happen to think it came out quite well."

"Yes, of course. It's very nice." He remembered what Carlson had said about rubies. "Was the choice of jewels also commissioned, or did you choose them?"

"The gentleman was very specific in what he wanted. But I was the one who created the bracelet." The man was clearly beginning to be annoyed with them.

Nancy chimed in, "Oh, and it is a masterpiece. We won't bother you any longer. Thank you for your time!" She pulled Frank towards the door.

"I thought we wanted to find out who commissioned it," Frank said as soon as they were out the door and out of earshot.

"We do, but I doubt he would have told us. He already seemed annoyed."

"You're right. Let's pause here so I can sketch the bracelet while it's still fresh. I doubt it's a coincidence that it had a lot of rubies, or that Marsh is somehow involved."

Nancy understood where he was going with this. "You think it's next to be stolen!"

Frank nodded, exited to have a break in the case. "And when it is, we can catch whoever is doing it!"

Just then Nancy's phone rang, breaking into their moment of clarity. Frank watched her face become increasingly concerned as she listened.

After hanging up, she looked at Frank bleakly. "That was my team. There was another bombing!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you to all my reviewers! I would LOVE to hear from all of you again! :)**

**Rose, Confidentiale Brunette, tweetypie16, LazyPanther, thedisneygirl, IrishShamrock86, SinfulAshe, ndhbfan, JamieLynn Black, ann, Lady Emily, saphiretwin369, Gotta Dance 88, Missy**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own two window air conditioners and a swamp cooler.  
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Disappearing Frost

Chapter 9

Frank found himself at Mr. Carlson's booth for the third time in as many days, and he hoped it would be the last. Joe and Nancy were supposed to be keeping an eye on the bracelet from Bon Losee to intercept the thief. He wasn't quite as optimistic. He couldn't shake the feeling that there were too many coincidences surrounding the stolen jewelry.

Frank and Nancy never had the chance to finish their joint thought process that afternoon after she received the call. They hurried back to their hotel where Nancy met up with her team, and he hadn't had a chance to see her since. He knew from catching the news that a bomb went off in the airport in the city they flew out of yesterday. It seemed to him that whatever intelligence the CIA had about the tour being a route for terrorists to pass information, it was right. The thought of another bomb in the same city as them bothered him, and wondered how well he would sleep that night.

He glanced around the room, and saw Nancy and Joe separately going about their usual work. He didn't miss, though, the watchful eye they both had on the girl chosen to wear Bon Losee's bracelet. So far, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

While Frank's mind had been wandering, Carlson had been describing his latest showpieces. He turned back to the man, politely listening as he wrapped up his monologue.

"So, do you think we'll have any more excitement tonight, Mr. Carlson?"

The man smiled. "Oh, I hope so! These exhausting parties get so boring after a while." He winked at Frank.

Frank pushed back the flush threatening to rise up his neck. Hopefully the man wasn't alluding to his lack of attention to what he had been telling him.

He had to figure out a way to get him to describe the stolen jewelry, but Frank didn't want to sound too interested and make the man suspicious. "Perhaps we can make the time pass more quickly. Remind me of that theory you proposed the last time we talked."

"You mean about the insurance? Now, I really didn't mean anything by it," he said uneasily.

Frank had forgotten about that particular idea in the excitement about the jewelry. He made a mental note to talk that over with Joe later. "You mentioned something about rubies."

Carlson seemed more comfortable discussing the theory that didn't implicate his fellow jewelers. "Aw, yes. Well, I just remember noticing that everything stolen had a lot of rubies in it. That's why I'm not worried about losing anything myself."

"Did you get a close look at the pieces?"

"Not the first one, and the second I only got a long glance. Lorenzo couldn't resist bragging to me about his, though. I could probably recreate the thing myself."

_Bingo!_ Frank thought. "Do you think you could sketch the design for me?"

Carlson looked at him a little suspiciously. "Why should a businessman care so much about stolen jewelry?"

Frank thought quickly, responding, "I've always been fascinated in design, and I want to know what was so intriguing about them that they were stolen."

He wondered if he saw through the lie, but Carlson humored him and grabbed a pen and napkin.

"I remember there were four rows of jewels, all attached at the clasp. Each row had its own unique arrangement of diamonds and rubies." He drew on the napkin as he talked. "Now, I'm not completely sure, but I think that this was how it was. Each individual row didn't seem to make any sense, but even I have to admit that the way it came together was beautiful."

Frank wasn't sure he could agree, not seeing it in person, but he trusted Carlson's judgment. "Was there anything else besides rubies in common with the jewelry?"

Carlson seemed to puzzle over that for a minute. "I believe that they all were of similar design. I know they were all bracelets. They all had rows like this one, but I don't remember how many. The first one may have been a little different, but I just wasn't close enough to see."

Frank remembered that each piece was created by a different jeweler. "Why would several jewelers all have the same design?"

"Most of the jewelry on that floor was commissioned by someone and entered into the tour. I suppose it's possible that they were all ordered by the same person, though I can't imagine why."

An idea was forming in Frank's mind, but he needed time and some quiet. It would have to wait. "Do you mind if I take that napkin? I'd like to study that design to truly appreciate what you said about its beauty."

The older man chuckled and fixed him with a wry look. "It's okay, son, I know there's something else you want it for. I won't ask what, as long as you come to me when you're ready to buy a ring for the pretty redhead."

Frank gaped at him, speechless. "I may be old, and I may like champagne, but I'm not blind. I've seen people in love in all its forms, being in this business. Take this napkin, and come back if you have more questions. Now, why don't you ask the lady to dance?" Carlson tucked the napkin into Frank's front pocket and turned him in Nancy's direction.

The shock wearing off, Frank smiled and thanked the man as he turned away. He saw her and Joe coming towards him and considered what Carlson said. He wasn't sure if it would be a good idea after what had happened with Nancy earlier that day. She was obviously still healing, and judging by the way she escaped out of her hotel room when he tried to kiss her, he figured she wasn't ready to start anything. He still hadn't forgotten their first dance or the fact that she had asked him, but he reasoned that that was between old friends. Things were definitely different now, and he didn't want to pressure her. Maybe when this is all over he'd finally take another chance.

___________________________________________________________________________

Nancy spent the evening keeping a watchful eye on Charlotte and Alan Pinkston, but it wasn't as easy as she wanted. Whenever she found herself in the same general vicinity as him, she could feel Charlotte's eyes boring into her from across the room. That alone was enough to make her feel more suspicious about the two. She had the distinct impression that Charlotte did not want Nancy asking him any questions, so obviously she had to figure out a way to do just that.

The only problem was, she didn't feel like she could take time away from her watch on Bridgette, the girl who was wearing Bon Losee's bracelet. Both she and Joe were supposed to be keeping track, and she knew she could trust Joe to do his job, but she also knew that two sets of eyes would help identify different angles. She felt torn between helping the Hardys with their case and actually getting something done on her own. Earlier that day, her superior accused her of losing focus, and she couldn't disagree. There had already been a second bombing and they still didn't know who was passing the information or giving orders.

Seeing Joe standing near to Pinkston, she made up her mind. She winked at Joe, taking a glass from his tray as she walked past him on her way to talk to the businessman. He saw where she was headed, and gave an imperceptible nod of understanding. He knew she had her own case to worry about, too.

Pinkston saw her approaching and flashed her a confident smile. "Ah, Amanda, come to rescue me from mindless small talk." He glanced at the two men he had been chatting with. "Oh, don't take it personally, men. Who wouldn't prefer this young woman's company?"

Nancy watched the men laugh good-naturedly and drift away. She could see Charlotte glaring in the background, but ignored her. She thought quickly. It was important to find out how he would be connected to terrorists, and if Charlotte had anything to do with it. "So tell me, Alan, how does one such as yourself become involved in a show like this?"

"I've been working on travelling tours of various kinds for several years. My expertise in insurance has proved valuable many times in the past."

"What types of things do you have to insure for this kind of show?" Nancy asked, playing with her glass.

"Jewels, obviously. Also, we have to assume responsibility for the venues and employees for each location."

Nancy found her way in. "Have you heard about the recent bombings?"

"Yes, a tragedy. Why anyone would attempt to blow up such places is beyond my understanding as a gentleman."

"Maybe I'm just a silly girl, but I noticed that they both were in cities we just left. Do you think that's a coincidence?"

Pinkston looked a mix between being puzzled at the bizarre question and annoyed that he felt implicated in something. "I guess I hadn't thought about it."

Nancy covered, "I think I'm just worried that maybe it's following us, and that we'll get bombed, too." She looked up at him shyly.

He smiled at her patronizingly, seeming to understand her question now. "Not to worry, my dear. You'll be safe. Our venues have the very best security, we make sure of it."

_Yeah, except for all the jewelry going missing_, she thought to herself.

Nancy took a chance. "You don't think anyone could be using the show as a means to share information about the bombings?"

Pinkston looked taken aback. "I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Of course not. These are well-respected people. No one would have any reason to help terrorists. I'd appreciate it if you not ask anyone else such a ridiculous question."

The man seemed genuine, but he could just be a good actor. For now, though, Nancy knew she needed to placate the man.

Turning on her most gossipy voice, she asked, "So how well do you know Charlotte? Of course, she's a great boss, but some of the girls have said some things…"

Pinkston's face soured for an instant, then replied, "What girls were these? Charlotte is a very capable woman with a stressful job that she handles beautifully. Yes, I suppose she can be intense about some things, but it is only because of her dedication. I won't hear her name slandered."

Nancy was surprised by the forcefulness of his response. She knew there was definitely something more than a business acquaintance going on there, or he wouldn't be so defensive. It was possible that he didn't want her fired because they were information contacts.

Suddenly Joe was at her side. "Pardon me, miss. Your presence is required by one of the gentlemen interested in your jewelry," he said calmly, but Nancy could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Yes, of course. Excuse me, Mr. Pinkston."

They crossed the room towards where Frank was turning away from the jeweler he was talking with and Joe pulled him aside.

"Careful, Joe, this is a rented tux."

"No time for that," Joe said impatiently. "Bridgette's bracelet is gone!"

__________________________________________________________________

**I know there wasn't much N/F in this one, but don't take Frank too seriously, it's coming! Promise! You know you want to review... Please? :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter and the next were originally one really large chapter, but I decided it needed to be broken up. I apologize that this is just a little shorter than normal because of that. Also, the way it ended up was that this half has more romance and the next half has more mystery. But, there's a little of each in both, and just maybe I can work in some more romance to the second part if you like what I did in this one... :)**

**Many, many thanks to my reviewers of chapter 9 - ann, Lady Emily, Iola Hardy, IrishShamrock86, MistyGirl1, Maddy, Gotta Dance 88, Meg - your reviews really mean a lot to me and are the reason I've kept writing through some frustrating brain blockage.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a small leather purse and a one-of-a-kind canvas messenger bag.**

Chapter 10

"_Bridgette's bracelet is gone!"_

Frank was instantly alert. "What? What happened? Did you see the guy?"

Joe's face was stormy, and Frank knew that was the look he got when he was most angry with himself. "No," he said flatly. "I was distracted."

And by distracted, Joe meant that Gabrielle came up to him and started flirting. She had been giving him looks all night and inconveniently chose that moment to approach. He tried to make an effort to pay attention to both people, but he should have known better. He watched Bridgette talking with a bunch of old ladies and figured she'd be fine for five minutes while he had a little fun. Unfortunately, that lapse in responsibility possibly cost them the case. Gabrielle had been playing with his tie - she claimed it was crooked - when he got a glimpse of Bridgette's wrist a few feet away and saw that it was bare.

Frank was annoyed with his brother after he told them the story. Joe was a flirt but he usually kept his head when it really mattered, so it was strange to Frank that he let a girl get in the way of something so important. But, he knew that chastising him wouldn't help the situation. He was Joe's brother and partner, not his dad.

He glanced past Joe at the room and saw Bridgette chatting with an elderly woman. "First thing we need to do is talk to her and get a description of the people she's been around tonight. He could still be in here, just biding his time until he can slip out unnoticed."

"She probably won't respond well to two guys telling her she lost something so expensive. I'll do it with you." Nancy said. She knew she shouldn't get involved, but she couldn't resist. Plus, she didn't want to miss an opportunity to see Frank trying to flirt again.

Frank smiled at her. "Thanks. Joe, talk to the staff, see if they know anything. Find out if Tom Marsh is still hanging around and what he was doing when it was stolen."

"Yeah, okay. Look, I didn't mean to miss it." Joe's hot temper was beginning to cool as he was given something new to focus on.

Frank sighed. "It's okay. It could have happened to any of us. Besides, we don't even know if you would have been able to see it happen anyway."

Joe turned and walked towards the service doors, still fuming silently to himself. He hated feeling like he disappointed Frank, and it was even worse when it was definitely his fault.

___________________________________________________________________________

"Hey, Bridgette, can we talk for a second?" Nancy approached her carefully so she wasn't alarmed, Frank beside her.

The girl looked confused but agreed. The three moved to the side of the room, out of earshot of most of the guests.

"Don't freak out, but did you or anyone else take off your bracelet on purpose?" Nancy asked.

Bridgette looked down and visibly started. "No! Where did it go?"

Frank and Nancy exchanged grim looks. They each knew what the other was thinking – _this guy is good__._

"We think it was stolen, probably within the last half hour. We need to know who you've been speaking or dancing with during that time," Frank said.

She looked at the two of them, asking, "Who are you? Why do you care?"

Nancy sighed and successfully pushed back the annoyance beginning to start. She hated wasting time with that question, and everyone asked it. "We're just trying to help. We noticed it gone and don't want you to get fired. Now, who were you talking with?"

Bridgette looked scared. "Oh, I can't lose my job!"

Frank stood in front of her, trying to look protective. "I know, and I'll do what I can to help you, but we really need to know now."

Nancy felt a little envy bubble up from deep inside her. Frank's voice was so calm and comforting, and she missed having it directed at her. But mostly, her reasonable side told her, she was glad that Bridgette started to talk.

"I've been talking to the older women. They're so sweet, you know? And they don't try to hit on me." Her face darkened momentarily at the thought. "I did talk to this one guy, but he never told me his name."

"What did he look like?"

"Look for yourself. He's standing right there." She pointed towards the back wall of the room, where a man was conversing with Charlotte.

Nancy and Frank exchanged excited looks. "Let's go, before he leaves!" Nancy exclaimed, ready to charge over.

Frank grinned at her. She really was a lot like Joe sometimes. "Hold on, Drew. We don't want to scare him off. It doesn't look like he's going anywhere soon." He glanced around. "And since the service doors and the exit are next to each other, we can easily keep an eye on him until he does."

"So, I think I should go talk to security, right?" Bridgette said uneasily. "And why did you call her 'Drew?'"

They looked back at her, surprised. They forgot she was still there listening to them. "Uh, inside joke. Don't tell security about that man, especially since he's talking to Charlotte. You don't want to get fired, right?" Nancy figured appealing to her fear of losing her job would keep her from getting in their way.

Her eyes got big. "No!"

"Just go quietly tell them that you noticed it missing, and you don't know what happened."

"I _don't_ know what happened."

Helpless girls got on Nancy's nerves, but she understood that the model was scared. "Then you won't be lying. You'll be fine. Don't make a big scene and Charlotte won't fire you, and if you want we can talk it through later, okay?"

Bridgette smiled shakily. "Thanks, Amanda. I guess I better go."

As she walked away, Nancy turned to Frank. "So if we're not going to talk to him now, what do you suggest we do?"

Frank smiled at her annoyance. "We wait until he does leave. We want to be able to question him without making a scene, or we won't get anything out of him. He's considered a gentleman, so security won't hesitate to get _us_ in trouble."

"What do we do in the mean time?"

Frank surprised both Nancy and himself by extending his hand towards her. "We dance."

Nancy hesitated for just a second and Frank got nervous at the wary expression on her face. He knew he shouldn't have pushed it, like he originally planned. But then she placed her hand in his large palm and let him pull her close to his body. To their slight embarrassment, right as they assumed a position for the familiar waltz the music transitioned into a slow song.

Frank decided that he was deep enough in it now that he might as well keep going, so he pulled her even closer to fit the music. He held her right hand with his left against his chest while they slowly shuffled in time to the slow beat. Nancy was flooded with memories of the two of them – hugs that lasted a little longer than they should, a kiss that felt so right it was wrong, and most recently a dance that seemed harmless at the time.

They were dancing close enough that she could feel the heat of his warm body through his clothing from her chest to her knees. Remembering what was under the clothing, Nancy sensed her face begin to heat up. She felt a cool hand press to her cheek.

"You're blushing," Frank murmured close to her ear. His breath tickled the skin on her neck and she fought off a shiver.

"Am I? It's nothing, really," she replied with an uncharacteristically shy grin.

Frank took a deep breath. Her beautiful face was just a whisper away from his, her red hair brushing against his cheek. She smelled sweet and somehow spicy at the same time; the mixture was driving him crazy. Neither noticed that they had stopped dancing.

"Nan, I know you're still dealing with what happened to Ned, but I want you to know that -"

"He's leaving." Nancy interrupted.

"Ned's leaving what?" Frank asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Not Ned," she said, exasperated. "Our suspect! He's leaving. This is what you were waiting for!"

______________________________________________________________________

**Small cliffie... :) You know what to do if you want more! (hint: review)**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm still doing my best to keep up with my posting schedule, so here's chapter 11. I recently found out my boss (who I'm actually really close to) has been diagnosed with lymphoma, and it's been more difficult to be in a frame of mind to write.  
**

**Thank you many times over to those who reviewed chapter 10 - MistyGirl1, Missy, IrishShamrock86, Lady Emily, Meg, saphiretwin369, **

**They really mean a lot, and encourage me to keep writing!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a yellow flower vase and a green Nalgene bottle.  
**

Chapter 11

As Joe entered the nearly empty hallway, he saw Marsh duck into the kitchen ahead of him. He felt himself flush with anger again. This guy was obviously suspicious, and he wasn't about to let him slip out with the bracelet.

Joe burst through the door of the kitchen. He saw Marsh at the counter switching out his champagne bottle and sprang into action. Charging the taller man, he swung his fist and connected with his jaw. In his surprise, Marsh fell backwards into the counter before regaining his balance, his eyes flashing. Joe was oblivious to the gasping, staring workers that surrounded them.

"Give me the bracelet, Marsh!"

"You are crazy! What bracelet?" He looked like he was about to retaliate with his own fist as he circled away from the counter.

Joe chose this moment to lunge and tackle. He may have been shorter, but he outweighed him in muscle. Expecting a fist instead of an entire body, Marsh was unprepared to counter his attack and fell under Joe's weight. They landed in a heap of tangled limbs on the kitchen floor.

Holding his forearm against Marsh's neck, Joe demanded, "Where is the bracelet? I know you stole it!"

Suddenly, Joe felt the sharp, cool blade of a knife at his own throat and froze. In his haste and Marsh's struggle, he hadn't noticed the other man's arm come up from his belt.

"I suggest you get off of me immediately," Marsh hissed.

Annoyed but not scared, Joe glared into his coal colored eyes. "Fine," he said as he got up off the floor and away from the knife. "But I can't let you leave with that bracelet."

"And I said that I don't know what you're talking about." Marsh still held the blade out in front of him, wary of another attack.

"Bridgette's bracelet is missing, and you took it!" Joe said indignantly.

"I have been doing my job, catering to these assholes who call themselves gentlemen," he spat.

A quiet voice penetrated the tense silence. "Um, Joe? He's telling the truth," Sasha, the waitress Joe had tried talking to a couple nights ago, spoke up timidly.

Joe whirled around and noticed the staring kitchen staff and felt embarrassment beginning to sink in. "What?"

"We were working the same area of the room together for the past forty-five minutes. He didn't steal anything."

"Satisfied? Now leave me alone and stay out of my business!" Marsh snarled as he stalked out of the kitchen.

Joe looked around, feeling sheepish. "Just thought I'd liven things up a little around here. You people look like you could use some excitement. Now that I've done that, I really must get back to my very important job of pouring beverages, and I suggest you all do the same."

_______________________________________________________________________________________

"_Our suspect! He's leaving. This is what you were waiting for!"_

Frank glanced in the direction Nancy was looking. The man Bridgette had pointed out to them seemed to be making his final goodbyes at the door.

"You're right, let's catch up to him before he slips away," Frank said as he reluctantly released her hand and stepped away.

As they crossed the room they watched the man exit the venue. Right as they were about to go out the door behind him, a large man in a security uniform blocked their path.

"Where do you think you're going, miss? You're wearing property of the tour, so you are not allowed to leave the premises," the big rent-a-cop said.

"I have to catch up to someone immediately! I promise I will come right back!"

"Uh huh, sure you will. Sorry, too many thefts happening around here. Can't let that jewelry out of my sight. I wouldn't want a nice girl like you to get into any trouble, better stay in here where I can protect you."

Nancy seethed but held her tongue. She hated security more than anything at that moment. He was letting the thief slip right by them and insulting her at the same time!

"Just wait here," Frank said to her, impatient with being delayed. "I've got to leave now or I'll lose him. Go find Joe and have him meet me outside." He quickly left the building in search of the man.

Frank looked down the cobblestone street, searching for any indication that someone was in the seemingly empty space. At the end of the block he caught a glance of a figure slipping around a corner and took off running.

When he rounded the corner, the man was waiting for him and his fist connected with Frank's jaw. His adrenaline was flowing enough by now that he barely felt the pain. Automatically his martial arts training kicked in and he swung his leg into the man's stomach to halt his attack.

Instead of falling backwards like they usually do, this man used Frank's momentum against him and tripped him onto his back. Frank scrambled to his feet, wincing from landing on the hard stone. He searched frantically around to get any glimpse of him, but the man had vanished.

Nancy, meanwhile, was not happy. She didn't like being left out of the excitement. After tracking down Joe, they swiftly made their way back to door. Right at that moment, Frank came back in looking slightly more disheveled than when he left.

"What happened?" Joe asked.

"I saw him disappear around a corner, so I followed. I went to attack him to bring him down but he must have figured it was coming. I kicked him in the stomach, but he anticipated it and took off. I tried to follow, but it was like he evaporated. I hate it when they run." Frank's voice was severe.

Nancy knew he was mad, but gently touched the slight swelling on Frank's jaw. "We should get some ice on that bruise."

The tone of his voice softened a little at her concern. "I'll be fine. I'd be better if I had stopped him," he grumbled.

"Did you at least get a good look at him?" Joe asked. He was disappointed too, though he knew it wasn't Frank's fault.

"Yeah, but I doubt it'll do much good. He looked different than all of the other descriptions we've had so far. He was about your height, Joe, and he had sandy hair that was balding on top. We are definitely dealing with more than one guy, which means that this goes much bigger than a simple thief."

"So what do we do now?"

"Figure out why almost identical jewelry keeps getting stolen by several people. I have a theory, but I'm going to need some time."

"Something tells me we're going to run out of that soon."

_____________________________________________________________________________

A short while later, Nancy tugged the bobby pins out of her hair in the dressing room. She felt frustrated with herself, her team, and even the Hardys in some ways. Too many opportunities slipped through their fingers that night. She yanked at a stubborn pin, then winced at the pain that seared through her head, sensitive from hair pulled tight for several hours.

"… That is such a beautiful necklace, Gabrielle."

Nancy recognized the voices of her informative friends, the gossipy girls, echoing from some other part of the dressing room.

"Yeah, I mean, you must have someone who really loves you to put down the cash that must be worth."

There was an uncomfortable laugh. "Oh, it's just from my Dad. He gave it to me for my birthday. Something about always remembering where I come from, the family business. Dads can be _so_ sentimental…"

She paused in her assault on her hair. Nancy had that nagging feeling again. If only she could pin down what was causing it before it was too late.

Nancy walked out the door and met the Hardys outside. They were both still in the clothes from the evening, though Frank had loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. He carried his suit jacket over one arm, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to below his elbows. Nancy had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a blue camisole. Technically, the models were supposed to arrive and leave in professional clothing, but so few people were around that she figured it wouldn't matter this one time.

The trio was quiet as they began walking the few blocks to the hotel. Each was thinking through their night and what they should have done differently. Nancy shivered; the night air was chillier than she anticipated. Her camisole had a built in shelf bra which normally was sufficient for her small bust, but she knew one look at her would be enough to know she was cold. She shivered again, and crossed her arms over her chest.

Frank must have noticed – her shivers, not her chest, she hoped – because he pulled his jacket from his arm.

"You must be cold. Here, take my jacket."

"No, I'm okay, really."

"Nan, we get it. I am woman, hear me roar. Now take the jacket," Joe said dryly.

She shot Joe a look, but allowed Frank to stop in front of her and drape it over her shoulders. He rubbed her upper arms for a moment to warm her, and he couldn't help feeling a tightening in his throat as he looked at her. What little light there was in the street played across her face, accentuating her cheekbones and full mouth.

Frank's jacket felt wonderfully warm to Nancy, who hadn't wanted to admit to the brothers she was cold. The smooth lining brushed her skin and she could smell musky aftershave mixed with something else that was uniquely Frank. Then one of his hands caught her hair and she winced.

Frank halted his movements. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No more than any other woman after having her hair pinned into submission. My head's just a little tender." She smiled tiredly.

Frank's right hand slid from her arm, over her shoulder, and up her neck. Gently he massaged the back of her head, his long fingers easing the pain from her scalp. Her hair was soft and silky and he enjoyed the feeling – he'd been wanted to touch it since the airport.

Nancy closed her eyes at his touch. She'd been missing masculine contact for so long, and she didn't even realize it until Frank walked back into her life. She shivered again, but not from the cold.

"Ahem."

Nancy's eyes popped open, and over Frank's shoulder she could see an amused Joe several feet away looking at them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting or anything, but we've got a big, fun filled day of brainstorming tomorrow. Wouldn't want you two getting it on to get in the way."

Frank flushed with annoyance - _at Joe's crass comment, not his interruption_, he told himself. "No one is getting anything on. Let's go."

Suddenly, a dark figure appeared seemingly from nowhere and grabbed Joe, knife pointed at his throat. "Consider this a warning," he rasped. The knife pressed a little deeper. "Stay away from the tour and stop poking around." Just as suddenly, he was gone.

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Things are starting to come together... LOTS of info in this chapter. It would have been up sooner but I got massively distracted by So You Think You Can Dance :) Thanks for the good wishes towards my boss, he's been back in the office this week and it is so good to have him around again.**

**Giant happy faces to the reviewers of chapter 12 - Maddy, MistyGirl1, IrishShamrock86, Missy, Michelle Gallichio, Gotta Dance 88, JamieLynn Black, Lady Emily - This chapter would not have happened without your encouragement, seriously. I would really love to hear from you all again!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a wall hanging from China and a table runner from Guatemala. **

Chapter 12

"Two knives at my throat in one night! That has to be a record for us or something." Joe said around a mouth full of sandwich.

"Not a chance, bro," Frank scoffed. Remember that time we met Conrad Daye about the self-defense class teacher? The Scorpions pulled at least three knives on us. Not to mention all the other cases we've ever worked."

"Okay, fine. But still, it was an interesting night."

Frank looked up from his position at the hotel room table and caught Nancy's eye. He could tell from her face that she was thinking the same thing. _It certainly was an interesting night, just not for the reason Joe was saying_. He could still feel the texture of her hair on his fingers.

Quickly looking away, Nancy stood from where she had been sitting on Frank's bed and threw out her apple core. They had decided to sleep late then eat an early lunch in the brothers' room while they tried to figure out more of the case. Wiping her hands on a napkin, she went to stand behind him and looked over his shoulder. He had the two drawings of the bracelets side by side with some scratch paper below them. The sheets were blank; he hadn't had a chance to get started.

"So what are you looking for?"

"I'm not sure yet. The way these are both so similar in design but different in the specifics makes me think there is some kind of code. But I don't know what type or where it is."

Joe came around and sat in the chair next to Frank, taking a look at the papers. "Maybe it's just me, but I think the things are ugly. I mean, the rubies are grouped in all sorts of weird numbers. It's not symmetric at all."

Frank looked at him for a moment, then back down at the pictures. "You know, you may be on to something."

"What, that they're ugly? No one else seemed to think so. But I am an expert in all things beautiful."

Frank lightly smacked the back of Joe's head. "I'm not talking about aesthetics of the bracelets, but the numbers! They must be grouped that way for a reason." He looked at the detailed drawings and started counting.

"How do you think they're grouped?" Nancy asked as she took a closer look.

"Well, it seems that each row is its own thing, and then the four rows were put together to make the bracelet." He picked up the drawing and peered at it. "This would be so much easier if we had the real thing with us."

After a couple minutes of counting and writing, Frank had the numbers of rubies listed out in lines on the paper in the same way they appeared on the first bracelet.

"What about these groups of diamonds, like here?" She pointed at a spot that had three diamonds grouped together. "It seems like the diamonds in other places are acting as dividers between the numbers, since there's only one between each group of rubies. But here there are three right next to each other. It doesn't fit."

Frank's eyebrows knitted together as he puzzled over this for a minute. Then he spoke up, "What if they are still acting as dividers?"

A look of confusion spread across Joe's face. "How can you divide something that isn't even there?"

Nancy smiled in understanding. "Exactly! They are dividing a number that doesn't exist in solid form. Zero, those three diamonds together actually mean two zeros."

Frank nodded. "Just what I was thinking. So in that particular spot, insert two zeros between the groups of two and nine."

"2009? So that line is a date?"

"It makes sense. Look at the rest of the line."

Joe took the paper from Frank. "But it could go either way. A six and a three could both mean a month or day."

"Well, March 6th was three months ago, and I don't remember anything important happening then. Why would anyone need information about a date in the past anyway?" Frank said.

"And," Nancy took over, "if it means June 3rd, that was yesterday! This bracelet would have been stolen a couple days before that. Plenty of time to get a message to someone."

"So what about the rest of these lines, then?"

"This last one has 13 rubies in a row. That's it."

"Thirteen days? Thirteen thousand dollars? Bring thirteen thugs?"

Nancy chewed on her lip and thought. "What usually goes with a date on an invitation?"

"Ruby invitations, that'll be some party. Hope I'm invited," Joe joked.

Frank looked at him. "Could you be serious for five minutes?"

"Okay, I'll bite. A place and a time usually go with an invitation. So you're saying that thirteen is an address?"

"Or maybe a time. Think military time. Thirteen hundred hours is actually one o'clock. So what happened at one o'clock yest…" Frank trailed off and looked at Nancy, whose face had gone pale.

"The bombing," she said, her voice quiet. "That happened at one o'clock yesterday. We had just finished talking to the jeweler when I got the call."

There was a short silence in the small room as that information sank in.

"You were right Frank, this goes much bigger than simple jewelry theft." Joe said, finally serious.

"We still need to figure how the top two lines on the bracelet work into this whole thing." Frank said. "It could be something more specific about the bombing."

Suddenly the room phone rang, breaking into Frank's concentration. Joe, now sprawled across two chairs, picked it up. "Joe Hardy… Oh, hey Gabrielle! …Sure, that would be great. Same place? …See you soon."

Frank and Nancy looked at each other. Apparently they'd be figuring the rest of this one out by themselves.

"Hot date?" Frank asked, half amused and half annoyed.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Gabrielle wants to meet for lunch down at the hotel restaurant again.

"Joe, you said she was boring the last time you went out! You wanted someone who was more interesting," Frank said, incredulous.

"And in the future I'll be sure to look more carefully. But she's here now, and I don't see any reason not have a little fun."

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Joe. Go have your fun. We'll just stay here and solve the mystery without you."

"Hey, it's basically solved anyway, right? You don't need me for the rest of the busy work. When it's time to go charging in somewhere, you know my number. In the mean time, I'm out of here." And with that, Joe was out the door.

"He wastes no time, huh?" Frank said, shaking his head. "It's a good thing he got his primping done for the day already."

Nancy laughed. "Yeah, wouldn't want a repeat argument to break out." Her grin faded as she met his dark, intense eyes, and she knew they were both remembering what happened_ after_ the argument. The whole shirtless-Frank-almost-kissing-her thing.

He cleared his throat, breaking the spell and allowing Nancy to look away. "We need to figure out these last two lines. Let's go back to your invitation analogy. We've got the date and time. It seems like these might somehow work out to being the place."

"We already know where it happened - the airport in the last city. So maybe the address?"

Frank grabbed his laptop and started a search. "I'm thinking something more numeric. An exact location on the globe that is depicted in digits."

She nodded, following his train of thought. "Latitude and longitude. That fits with having two lines, also."

"Bingo!" Frank exclaimed after a minute on his computer. "The coordinates for the airport match the numbers on the lines. I think we cracked the code!"

"There hasn't been a bombing yet since the last bracelet was stolen last night," Nancy said slowly. "If we're right, we can figure out when and where it's going to be happening next!"

They set to work counting the lines on the next bracelet, Nancy taking the date and time and Frank handling the location. In a matter of minutes they were looking at the plans for the next bombing and sat there a little stunned.

"That's today, in about four hours!" Nancy stood up quickly, feeling very antsy. "I have got to get in touch with my team. We may be able to wrap this whole thing up if we do it right." Pacing around the room, she continued, "We'll need to get a team over to the train station immediately and evacuate it. The bomb is probably already there, just waiting to be detonated."

Frank stood up too and stepped into her path. "Nan, I want to be there with you. This is partially my case too."

She sighed. "I'll see what I can do, but no promises, Hardy. You're not authorized. I've got to go make some calls, but I'll be in touch and let you know."

As she turned to go, Frank caught her arm. "Be careful."

Nancy's breath caught as she looked into his striking, concerned face. "You know I am."

She vaguely heard a low chuckle as she was caught once again in the pull of his eyes. "Now Drew, you know that's not always the case. I wouldn't want to have to charge in and rescue you."

She was award of his face getting closer to hers, then his head tilting down. Unconsciously, her own face lifted. The hand on her arm slid up to her face, cupping her cheek. Their lips were just a breath away.

"But you would though. Come and rescue me."

"Always."

Frank's warm breath dusted across her cheek as he spoke, and the sensation woke her up just enough to start thinking.

"Frank," she whispered, as she rested her forehead against his with closed eyes. "We don't have time. I need to meet up with my team."

He let out a slow breath and backed away. She was right and he knew it. "The timing's just never right for us, is it?"

She smiled sadly at him. "Not so far. But maybe some day, when this is all done?"

Without waiting for an answer, Nancy hurried out the door. Once it was closed she leaned against it for a minute, pulling herself together. She had a job to do, and couldn't let her personal life get in the way, as much as she wished she could.

Frank's feelings were all jumbled up after she left. He was excited things were finally starting to come together on the case, but he couldn't help but feel that he blew his one shot at getting Nancy back.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

"Excuse me Joseph, I'm so rude! But I really must go outside and take this call."

Joe grinned. "Go ahead, just don't take too long. Wouldn't want me to have to chase after you."

"Tell you what. If I'm not back in two minutes, I'll be mad if you don't come looking." She winked. "Consider this your invitation."

Joe took a sip of his wine, waited two minutes, then made his way outside. He wasn't prepared for what he saw when he got there. He barely caught a glimpse of Gabrielle being manhandled around the corner into an alley.

"Gabrielle!" Joe felt a little surge of panic and took off down the street. The one thing that registered clear as crystal in his mind as he rounded the corner was the click of a gun hammer. He stopped dead in his tracks and found himself staring into the barrel of two guns. One was held by Gabrielle, the other by Tom Marsh.

"Oh Joseph, I think you are going to come with us."

__________________________________________________________________________________________

**You know what to do :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm really sorry this chapter is a day later than my norm. I spent yesterday afternoon and evening lying down with a raging migraine. After sleeping a lot I feel much better :)**

**I am so grateful to the reviewers of Chapter 12 - Missy, vangrace (I promise I haven't been forgetting you, for some reason ff erases your name when I try to add the period and I didn't realize it until now. Sorry!), ann, Lady Emily, MistyGirl1, Gotta Dance 88, JamieLynn Black, KennaC - you all rock my world!**

**Without further ado, (and so I can get to dinner - celebrating our two-year anniversary!) I give you Chapter 13. It's a big one, let me know what you think :)**

**Disclaimer - I don't own anything you recognize. I do own ten board games the card game Set.**

Chapter 13

Frank glanced down at his watch. There were only two hours until the bomb was scheduled to go off in the train station. He had hoped Joe would be back by now, but so far that wasn't the case. He felt a little seed of worry for him start growing in his mind when he tried his phone and only got voicemail.

_He's probably just in the middle of something I don't want to interrupt_, Frank reassured himself.

Just in case Joe had lost track of time at the restaurant, he decided to go see if he was down there. Time was running short and if they were going to be involved in the bombing they needed to hurry.

Frank quickly stepped out of the elevator and immediately knew that Joe wasn't there. The restaurant was almost empty, being in-between the lunch and dinner shifts. Walking inside, he was instantly approached by the host, asking if him if he needed to be seated.

"Actually, I was hoping you could tell me if someone was here recently."

"Well, sir, that depends. We have many high profile clients at our restaurant, and we do not give out information," the man said proudly as he tugged on his vest, his posture perfectly straight.

"I'm looking for my brother, who was supposed to meet a girl here. He doesn't look anything like me, actually. He's blond, and a couple inches shorter than me. The girl he was meeting is a model, brunette, and Italian."

The host thought for a minute. "Him, I don't remember. But her, I don't think any man would forget her. She got into a car with a man about an hour ago. I don't know where they went."

Frank felt some of his worried tension loosen. That must have been Gabrielle and Joe. "Was this man blond?"

"No. He did not look anything like you described. He was very tall, with dark hair. I remember most his eyes, which even from a distance I could see were coal black. A frightening man, if you want my honest opinion."

Suddenly all the tension in Frank's body came back at once. It could be a coincidence, but nothing in their line of work ever was. He felt slightly nauseous as the realization hit him: Gabrielle was in league with Tom Marsh, and Joe had walked right into the middle of it. Now the question was, where is Joe?

______________________________________________________________________________________

The first thing Joe became aware of was the sound of what seemed to be machinery. He tried to open his eyes, realizing that the reason the world was black was because they were still shut. His eyelids felt incredibly heavy. Slowly, the room came into focus, and he saw he was inside an industrial type building. _A warehouse? No, the space is too small, unless I'm in some side room._

The sound of machinery was loud, and all at once his head began pounding, emanating from the back of his head. He tried to bring his hand up to feel his head for bumps but it wouldn't budge. _So I'm tied to something; probably a pipe from the way it feels. _His back was to the tried to think clearly, to remember what events had landed him in this situation, but his head was still throbbing, keeping him from pursuing one train of thought for any productive amount of time.

"Oh Joseph, you're awake!"

That accented voice seemed very familiar to Joe. He remembered the girl he was having lunch with, Gabrielle. But why would she have tied him up? He wasn't usually into things like _that_ when it came to girls. He couldn't even remember sleeping with her, and she was too hot for him to forget that experience, he was sure.

She finally stepped into view, but at the same time, another figure entered his line of vision. Marsh. With the recognition of his face, everything came flooding back to Joe. Following Gabrielle around the corner. Coming face to face with the two of them and their guns. Turning around and kneeling, per their instructions. He supposed Marsh must have hit him over the head, which knocked him out.

"I don't know why you insisted we waited until he was awake to leave. This place could go at any minute, and I sure as hell don't want to be stuck here."

"Silly Tom, so worried about everything." She touched her index fingers to Marsh's lips, and the man stopped talking. "They won't detonate early, and we still have plenty of time. Besides, I need to properly thank him for the date."

_Detonate?_ Joe thought, _as in, bomb?_

She turned to Joe. "It is your own fault, you know. You should have just let things be. I tried to distract you, but you were surprisingly resilient against my charm." She pouted as she spoke.

Joe thought quickly. They were obviously going to leave him here before a bomb went off, and he needed to know where he was if he had any hope of escaping. "Where are we?"

He was rewarded with a backhand across his face and his vision exploded into stars. The rope around his wrists cut into his skin as the force of the blow propelled his body forward. "You will not speak another word!" Marsh hissed at him.

Gabrielle glared at Marsh. "Don't be such a brute, Tom." He flushed in annoyance at her words. "Joseph, all you need to know is that you won't be leaving this place. Trains come and go, but you will not be on any of them, and soon no one else will be either." She took a couple steps and crouched down until she was only a foot away. "I really am sorry about this, but you got too close. The boss wouldn't allow you to stay a liability any longer."

Joe felt disgusted as she kissed his forehead. Those soft lips now uttered a death sentence. She stood up, and with a final wave in his direction, was gone with Marsh in tow.

He looked around him again, this time with a clearer head. Gabrielle had said something about trains. As the sounds continued, he realized it wasn't machinery, but the sound of trains going through a station. He strained his eyes to the left and saw a train track with a sign that said "Platform 4." There weren't any trains or people nearby, so he figured that platform must not be in current use.

Joe tried to wiggle his hands around, looking for a loose spot to get free. He wasn't successful. _Marsh must have experience in tying people up_, he thought dryly.

Squirming on the ground, he attempted to find a more comfortable position. His cell phone was in one of his back pockets and sitting on it was beginning to be uncomfortable. An idea hit him – he still had his cell phone. He could call Frank. Leaving him with it seemed to be a rookie mistake. _Maybe Gabrielle and Marsh aren't as smart as I thought_.

Joe was able to maneuver around enough to fish the phone out of his pocket. The skin on his wrists by now was raw and probably bleeding. He caught a long look of the screen by craning his neck and felt his mood sink a little. He didn't have service, except the occasional bar that would come and go – definitely not enough to get a call through.

He quickly got to work on plan b, trying to remember all the correct buttons to push. Settling on the message, he strained one last time to get a look, making sure he did it right. Hoping for the best, Joe hit send.

Error message. Not enough service.

Going through the process two more times, Joe felt a small wave of relief when his phone beeped, telling him his text had finally gone through. Exhausted, he leaned against the wall, letting the pain in his head overtake him again.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Frank paced his room again; he'd lost count of how many times he had made the circle. He still had no idea where Marsh and Gabrielle would have taken Joe, or how to get him back. There was only one hour before the bomb was supposed to go off, and he hadn't heard from Nancy yet.

He picked up his phone, deciding to call her and let her know about Joe, when he felt it buzz, telling him he had message. His heart picked up when he saw it was from Joe.

_trapped train station platform 4 help_

The heart that just seconds before had been thundering momentarily seemed to stop. Joe was in the train station, about to be blown up with it. Every nightmare Frank had since the first explosion bombarded him all at once, and he thought he was going to be sick.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Nancy was outside the train station. She just got out of a last minute meeting where the team discussed final options. There was only about a half hour until the bomb would go off. She felt someone grab her arm and found herself looking into Frank's worried face.

"Hardy, what are you doing here? I couldn't get you clearance, so you've got to leave."

"Did you find the bomb?" He sounded a little frantic, which confused Nancy.

"No, we haven't had enough time. They don't want to risk a team going in there without knowing if they'll be able to diffuse it in time." She took a closer look at him. His eyebrows seemed permanently scrunched together and his mouth was tight. He seemed more upset than he should be. "It's okay, we evacuated the place about forty-five minutes ago. No one else is inside, and judging from the previous explosions it won't be bigger than the station."

Frank pulled out his cell phone and pulled up the message he had reread a hundred times, hoping he was missing something, that it didn't mean what he was sure it did. "I got this from Joe thirty minutes ago," he said, his voice harsh.

Nancy took the phone, than turned visibly white. "Frank, we don't have enough time. I don't think we'd be able to get people in and out by then! I'll ask if the person in charge of that section saw anything."

Frank's suppressed anger flared. "That's not good enough! He's in there Nancy, and either your team helps me or I go in alone!"

She knew he was right, and she hated that her hands were tied. She had a mission to finish, but Frank and Joe were like family. "Okay, I'll get a small team together. It'll take me a few minutes though, I'm only going to take volunteers."

Frank sighed heavily. He knew his anger was misplaced on Nancy, but couldn't seem to calm down. "Thanks, but I'm not waiting. I have to go in now." He turned and started sprinting towards the building, and Nancy took off after him.

At the barricade, Nancy gave him clearance with the agents to let him through. As he was about to go, she laid a hand on his tense arm. "Frank, we'll be right behind you, I promise."

He attempted to smile, then ran for the entrance of the station.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Joe was starting to get nervous. He had tried to send a couple other messages, but none of them seemed to go through. Doubt was starting to set in – he wasn't even sure if his first message got to Frank, or that he would be able to get to him.

He tried rubbing the rope along the pipe to loosen or stretch it but without success. Finally, he felt the rope catch. There must be a rough spot on the metal. He moved his hands faster, hoping to wear out the rope. Right as he thought he might be getting somewhere, he heard a voice.

"Joe! Joe? Are you there?"

It was Frank. He knew he could count on him, and felt disloyal for doubting his ability to find him. He'd gotten them out of worse jams than this.

"Frank! I'm over here!"

He heard footsteps get faster and louder, as if Frank was running towards him. Then, his face came into view, sweaty and lined with worry.

"I'm tied to this pole, but I think the rope is almost through. Man, is it good to see you!"

Frank pulled out a knife he'd had the foresight to bring. Experience taught him to be prepared for Joe being tied somewhere. The rope cut easily and Joe stood up, then promptly fell down again. The world was spinning.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Franks voice was borderline frantic again. "We've got to get out of here now, the whole place is about to blow!"

"I'm fine, they just hit my head hard enough to knock me out. Help me up and let's go."

The two brothers ran through the station, hoping to find an exit soon. Frank had taken a wrong turn originally, getting to platform four in a roundabout way. Nancy must just be getting to the platform, and wished he had a way to contact her to tell her they were fine.

The burst through a door and kept running, and right as they were approaching the safety boundary on the opposite side of where Frank had entered, a deafening sound ripped through the air as the station became quickly engulfed in flame.

Frank looked back, horrified. "Nancy, she was still in there!"

___________________________________________________________________________

**Cliffie! Review, please? :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**I think this is the chapter some of you have been waiting for - I hope I don't disappoint :) I'm going to be on tour for a couple of weeks, so I may not be able to post anything during that time. I'm going to try, but if I can't, I promise it's not because I'm abandoning the story. A new chapter will be up in two weeks at the very latest.  
**

**Thanks to the reviewers of Chapter 13 - KennaC, Cecilia, Michelle Gallichio, MistyGirl1**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own nine mugs and three combs.**

Chapter 14

_Frank looked back, horrified. "Nancy, she was still in there!"_

All around them there seemed to be chaos. Even though the explosion was anticipated, it still initiated a feeling of panic in most people involved. Frank couldn't take the time to worry about Nancy when he was still supporting most of Joe's weight. He had to get him to a hospital. The paramedics on site seemed frustratingly MIA.

"Frank, I'm fine, really. My head just hurts a lot."

"You probably have a concussion. Hard to believe, I know, what with your hard head."

"Hey, Mr. Serious made a joke! You must be feeling a little better."

"I got you out, didn't I? Now I just need to get you medical attention." He didn't mention that pushing away the thought of Nancy was the only thing keeping him together. They managed to get far enough away from the station to flag down a cab. Not long after, Joe was admitted to the hospital.

"I can't believe I have to stay here overnight! I've already said it a thousand times – I'm fine!"

"Saying it a million times won't change the response, Joe. They just want to make sure that you don't have a more serious head injury. I, for one, am glad that I don't have to be the one waking you up all night long."

"Gee, thanks."

"No problem." Frank ran his hand through his hair. Joe seemed to be fine, but he still didn't know anything about Nancy. He hated that he never got her cell number. They always just agreed to meet up.

"Frank. I'm _fine_. Go find Nancy. I'm sure she's okay. She probably never even went in there to find me, which I feel slightly resentful about if you want the truth." Frank scowled at him, and Joe shrugged. "Seriously bro, go get her. Take advantage of this Joe-free evening. You've been agonizing over her for long enough."

"It's only been an hour since the blast, so it hasn't been that long."

Joe gave him a pointed look. "You know that's not what I'm talking about. Watching the two of you in that alley was almost enough to make _me_ blush, and that's saying something. You deserve this, Frank. Don't get in your own way for once."

Frank shifted his feet uneasily. Joe had many valid points, even if he didn't want to admit it. "Are you sure you'll be fine?"

"For the love of all that is good, yes! Now get out of here, before you really drive me crazy."

Frank ducked his head, lips barely moving into a half-hearted grin, and left the room.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

As Frank was going out the doors of the hospital, the phone next to Joe's bed rang.

"Frank, for crying in the sink - "

A feminine voice cut him off. "Joe, it's Nancy."

"Nancy! It's good to hear you're alive! Frank is freaking out, worrying that you were caught inside."

"I never actually made it inside. We were just about to cross the boundary when the bomb went off. I heard from an agent that two guys burst out right before it happened, and figured it must have been you two."

"Yeah, Frank got to me just in time."

"I'm glad. You really scared both of us."

"Hey, it's not like I can't take care of myself, Drew."

"You just said yourself that it was Frank that got you out."

"Technicalities," Joe said, waving his hand in the air as if she was in the room with him. "Anyway, what can I do for you, while I'm stuck in this bed overnight?"

"Is Frank there?"

"Actually, no. He's on his way to find you. Where are you, anyway?"

"I'll hopefully be leaving the site within an hour. We're still going over what to do next, and then they've ordered us all to get some sleep."

"Well, if you get a chance, go find Frank. He's really worried about what happened to you."

"Thanks, Joe."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Frank sat on the edge of Nancy's bed, attempting to stay calm. He knew the CIA wouldn't give him any information about her, good or bad. All he could think to do was come back to her hotel room and hope someone, preferably her, showed up, at least until a better idea came to him.

His elbows rested on his knees as he held his face in his hands. He couldn't allow himself to believe the worst. The door opened, startling him, and he lifted his gaze to discover the face he most wanted to see.

Nancy closed the door, then turned around and stopped in her tracks. When Frank's image greeted her, she wondered for a of couple seconds if somehow she got the wrong room. Her heart tore open just a little when she saw the combination of anguish and astonishment on his face as deep brown eyes met blue.

Still unmoving, she watched him slowly stand then cross the short distance between them. His eyes – so caring, concerned, but intense – seemed to have pinned her to her place; she was unable to do anything other then stand there and react to him. Her heartbeat picked up a notch when she noticed he wasn't stopping at the edge of the normal personal space bubble.

In a split second, she knew what was about to happen. And then he was so close, his face filling the space in her vision not already dominated by his eyes.

"Nancy."

The single word slipped out, a compromise between a sigh and a moan. Then his hand was sliding through her hair, pulling gently, slowly, on the strands at the back of her head. She felt his forehead lean against hers and her eyes closed, unable to keep taking in all of the emotions pouring out of him.

Her breath was coming heavy and fast, and she was surprised to notice that his was too. It seemed like they were frozen in that tense moment for both a second and forever all at once.

Slowly, almost painfully, Frank lifted his face, until she felt the slightest pressure on her lips. Her mouth tingled at the sensation of his soft lips barely touching hers, moving almost imperceptibly.

Then it was as if the flood gates opened to five years of locked away emotions. His mouth increased its pressure, though not its speed, and Nancy slowly became aware of the closed door at her back. Frank's entire body was pressed up against hers, and she liked the solidness of it. His hand, still fisted in her hair, started to grip a little tighter.

She felt his lips part as his hot mouth continued its unhurried assault on hers, as if he had all the time in the world to get his point across. Nancy's thoughts finally caught up with her after a moment of stupor. Frank was kissing her. _Frank_ was kissing _her_. Her hands decided to make her an active participant before she told them too, coming up to grasp his strong shoulders for a few seconds, then sliding up to his face. _There_ was the stubble she'd been itching to feel, rough against her fingertips.

Just as her own lips were beginning to respond more fully, his mouth was pulling away. His arms wrapped around her, drawing her away from the doorway and into his body. She rested her head on his chest, listening to the erratic heartbeat underneath.

"Nancy." Frank's voice was hoarse as he whispered. "I was so scared that I lost you."

"I'm right here. I'm okay. We're both okay." Her voice wasn't much better.

"I was worried I'd never get a chance to do that."

Nancy smiled. "I'm glad you finally did."

"Yeah?" Frank's tone sounded nervous.

She pulled back to look at him, smile still in place. "Yeah."

He smiled back at her, then lowered his mouth back down to hers. Frank had every intention of making this kiss sweet instead of passionate, but the instant his lips touched hers he felt the fire flaming up inside him again. Her small body felt so good in his arms, and he was amazed to find her kissing him back.

Nancy noticed the change in his kiss immediately. It seemed like any restraint Frank had was gone now as he pressed his hot mouth against hers, confident in his actions. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, only aware of the changes. His hands now roamed her back, her sides, but never where she was starting to wish he would. Her own hands found their way into his thick, soft hair.

She almost gasped as she felt his tongue enter her open mouth, and she greeted it with her own. They slowly massaged the sensitive flesh of each other's tongues as their lips continued their pressure.

No longer able to stop them, her hands slip down the planes of his chest, feeling the muscles as she went. Everywhere he felt her hands his skin seemed to light on fire. A groan escaped his throat at the sensation.

If Nancy wasn't feeling turned on before that, hearing Frank's low moan would have done it. Her hands found themselves at the bottom hem of his shirt. She was originally going to slip them inside, just to get a taste of his skin, but once they were there she felt herself lifting the hem. Frank gave no hesitation, briefly breaking off the kiss as the shirt went over his head. Then his deliciously warm skin was under her hands, and she felt herself get even hotter at the feeling of his strong abdomen.

Instead of putting his mouth back on hers, she felt his lips on her neck, pressing kisses along her throat. His hands moved down to her ass, gently squeezing as they started moving towards the bed.

Nancy thought that maybe they were moving too fast. The suppressed, rational part of her brain was reminding her that they just kissed. It was too soon to be doing what she was pretty sure they were about to do.

But then they were on the bed, Frank's body a comforting weight on top of her after this long, emotional day. She wanted this; it was five years in the making. She intended to enjoy him for as long as she could, not worry about what would happen when the case is over, just this once.

___________________________________________________________________________

**I'm thinking about posting an outtake M story of the continuation of this chapter - thoughts? You know what to do :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm back! I know, it's been longer than I said *cowers behind a tree*. It took me a long time to get back into it after going through tour withdrawal. But, hopefully the majority of this chapter will make up for it! Still T at this point, but definitely edging towards the border... so just a warning. I am working on an M outtake (or two), which will be posted before the end of this story.  
**

**A thousand thankyous to the reviewers of chapter 14:**

** Gotta Dance 88, KennaC, Lady Emily, Bettycooper2sweet, Prismatic Iris, Missy, ann, Michelle Gallichio, MistyGirl1, Meg, memrylaine, beautyqueen321, Diamond and Stars, maggierose17, fireandarose, Taylor**

**You guys are ****AWESOME!**

**And now, not much mystery in this one, but lots of fun!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own three hundred pictures and eight videos taken from tour.**

Chapter 15

Frank awoke gradually, easing out of a dream he had already forgotten. The sunlight was bright against his eyelids, and he wished he didn't have to open them. As his consciousness returned, so did the memories from the day before. Joe, chained inside the station. Nancy, opening her room door. The two of them, finally together.

_Nancy._

Here was the motivation he needed to lift his lids, and upon doing so he looked over at her still sleeping face. He hadn't entirely realized how stressed she must feel over the case until this opportunity to see her face, relaxed and worry-free as she slumbered. She was stretched out on her stomach, taking up more than half of the bed. The sheet barely hinted at the curve of her back, and he felt his body begin to react as he studied her. Frank wasn't aware of the time passing as he stayed there watching her sleep, but then slowly her body moved, signaling that she too was coming awake.

Nancy's eyes blinked a couple of times, fighting the sunlight as he had, until they finally settled and rested on him. She wasn't surprised to find him there; even in her sleep it seemed she was sensitive to his presence. What did surprise her was the knowledge of what had happened the night before, that he was still here, that he was smiling at her. It didn't seem possible for their lives to align enough to make those moments happen.

Nancy smiled drowsily back at him and watched as his seemed to grow even bigger on his face.

"Hey." His voice was low from sleeping, but warm to her ears.

"Hey, yourself."

Neither spoke for a while. Frank was still transfixed; he couldn't stop looking at her long enough to put together a phrase. Nancy didn't want anything she said to ruin the moment. Words wouldn't be sufficient to explain how she was feeling. Instead, she yawned, then laughed. Frank grinned back her and propped himself up on his elbow.

Nancy shifted until she was lying on her side. Becoming aware of her nakedness, she was grateful for the bedding that covered her body. She wasn't ashamed, but felt slightly awkward being without clothes outside of a passionate moment.

Now better angled, she was able to take in the image of Frank. The white sheets pulled up around his waist complimented the tan skin of his torso, and Nancy idly wondered how he managed keep up his trim physique. She remembered the feel of those toned muscles, warm and hard under her fingers as he'd held himself above her. She felt a blush threatening as the memory became more vivid and she quickly moved her gaze up his body to his face. His dark hair was mussed, sticking up in disarray, but not unattractively. He was watching her quietly, a small smile playing around his mouth.

Frank finally broke the silence. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you," she said, but silently adding, _not that we did much sleeping_. Nancy was a little surprised by their formal conversation. They had just known each other more intimately than any average friendship would allow, yet now things felt, what, awkward? Forced? _No_, she decided, _not forced. Just different_.

Frank's expression changed, becoming more serious, almost as if he was thinking about the same things she was. Nancy realized that at some point they would need to have _the talk_. Obviously neither of them had been virgins before last night, and if they started a relationship they would need to learn each other's histories. Unless, this was just a one time thing, in which case previous experiences wouldn't matter anymore – this would just become one more to add to her short list. Her chest tightened at the thought of it. _Frank wouldn't see it like that after all we've been through, would he?_

Frank could see the thoughts starting to flow through Nancy's head. He didn't want her to start thinking about all the reasons they shouldn't be together. He wasn't ready for that yet. What he did want was to enjoy this moment: the two of them, in bed, after an incredible night alone together.

So he did the only thing he could think of. He reached out the hand that wasn't supporting him, closing the small distance between them. Her hair was messy and falling into her face as her head rested still on the pillow. Gently, he tucked the strands behind her ear, leaving his hand there to caress her cheek.

Nancy's eyes tried to instinctively close at the feel of his fingers, but she didn't want to lose him from her sight. She decided at that moment to push off her worries, that whatever happened next for them, she was going to enjoy it. She leaned up into his touch and Frank took advantage of her movement. His hand slid to the back of her neck while he bent his head down from its propped position, bringing his lips down to meet hers.

Every time he kissed her, to Nancy it felt like that first moment from the night before, and there wasn't any sign of that ceasing anytime soon. His mouth was still gentle as he softly pressed his full, barely parted lips against hers, though she could tell he was restraining himself.

She knew that at any moment he could decide this was a bad idea. He could start thinking rationally and logically, something she had been putting off. Not wanting to take the chance, Nancy decided to move things along on her own time. Slowly, their mouths still connected, she shifted her body up until she was the one more angled over him. Taking advantage of her dominant position, she moved her lips more forcefully against Frank's, opening her mouth a little further.

Suddenly, his arms snaked around her, pulling her down to rest on top of his body, holding her tight against him. She could feel the firm planes of his body with hers, separated only by the sheet that was caught between them. His large hands caressed her back, dragging his short nails lightly along her skin as he kissed her.

Nancy moved her mouth down along his neck to his pulse point where she could feel his rapid heartbeat through her lips. Her eyes flicked up at the clock. _It's still early_, she thought wistfully, _we don't have to go back to real world yet_.

She felt her body starting to shift, as if he was trying to roll them back over. She sat up just enough to put her hands flat on his warm chest and smirked. His brown eyes seemed to darken even further as they seared into hers. Frank got the message and grinned back, feeling more anticipation than he thought possible. It was Nancy's turn to be in control.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Joe was cranky. He had spent the night in an uncomfortable hospital bed being constantly woken up by a nurse. _And_, he thought,_ she wasn't even the cute nurse. Frank would hate me for that thought. Hey, where's Frank? _He thought it strange that his overprotective brother wasn't there to greet him in the morning.

He decided to call his cell phone, but it went straight to voice mail as if the battery was dead. Also strange, considering Frank never went to bed without plugging it in to charge. This meant that Joe was going to have to find his own way back to the hotel. Not a problem, but annoying. Usually his brother took care of things like organizing transportation.

"Mr. Hardy? How are we feeling today?"

Joe looked up and grinned. The cute nurse was back. "My head is just as new, thanks to your special care."

The girl blushed. "That is good. You will be able to go home within the hour. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Well, my irresponsible brother has left me without a way back to my hotel. Do you think you could possibly take some time to show me the way? I could take you out to lunch as a thank you."

She smiled shyly. "I wouldn't want you to get lost, you might hurt your head again! When you are released, just ask for Annette."

Joe flashed her his trademark grin. "You are a lifesaver, Annette."

"I have other patients to check on. Just let me know." She turned, flustered, and hurriedly left the room.

_They are so much cuter when they're shy,_ Joe thought with a smile.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Nancy woke to an obnoxious ringing sound. She blinked her eyes groggily while groping around on the bedside table for her phone.

"Agent Drew."

"Drew, we need to meet with you ASAP. We have plans to take down this whole case at the show tonight."

Her brain suddenly felt very awake, even if her body felt sluggish for some reason.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," she said snapping her phone shut. She glanced around quickly looking for her bra when she noticed Frank watching her.

_Frank. Oh, crap._

He smiled a little sadly. "Work?"

She sighed. "Yeah. They say they have a big plan to finish everything and need me there now to go over the details."

"I understand." And he did. This would always be her life, and it was how he had always known her. She was up and dressed almost faster than he even realized she had moved.

"But you can take your time. I mean, you don't have to leave just because I am. But, you don't have to stay either. Whatever you want." Nancy knew she was babbling but didn't know how to stop herself.

"It's okay, I need to go check on Joe anyway. It's, what, almost noon? He's probably already been released and wondering where I am."

"Sure, that makes sense. Well, I'm off." She double checked that she had everything – phone, purse, gun.

Frank sat up, wrapping the sheet around his nude lower half then grabbed Nancy's hand. "Hey, we'll figure it out."

She smiled half-heartedly at him. "I know." But part of her couldn't help feeling like she was doomed in any relationship. What guy would want a girl who was always running off? These were the thoughts that accompanied her as she left Frank sitting on the bed and closed the door behind her.

**You know what to do! Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I know it's been a longer than usual, and I'm sorry. I'm not abandoning, I promise. This chapter is a little longer to make up for it, hopefully. :)  
**

**Thanks to the reviewers of chapter 15: IrishShamrock86, KennaC, memrylaine, Andy_C, Prismatic Iris, MistyGirl1, ann, Gotta Dance 88, Diamond and Stars, Michelle Gallichio, Meg**

**I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your continued support!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own two suitcases and a backpack. **

Chapter 16

"Well, it's about time."

Frank looked up as he entered the room to see Joe lounging comfortably on one of the beds, TV remote in hand.

"Joe! How are you feeling? I guess you got back okay." He sat down on his own bed and took off his shoes. It was midday, but he felt exhausted.

"Fine, thanks for asking. Especially since the cute nurse couldn't give up a chance to help me find my way." He smirked impishly as he flipped through channels.

Frank rolled his eyes, but grinned back. Sometimes he wondered why he even worried about Joe. Clearly, he could fend for himself.

"So," Joe continued. "Should I even bother asking where you were?"

Even though he knew this was coming, Frank still wasn't prepared to deal with answering him yet. "That depends. Where do you think I was?"

"Considering how Nancy called me last night looking for you right after you left on your quest to find her, I have a pretty good idea."

Sighing, Frank confirmed his suspicions. "Yeah, I was with her."

"The whole night?" Joe glanced over at his brother and noticed him squirming. He clicked off the TV and stared. Without him even saying a word, he knew his brother had had sex with Nancy. "Wow, I didn't think you'd take my Joe-free evening idea that seriously."

Frank looked up, and Joe saw the uncertainty written clearly across his face. "I know, I didn't mean to. I mean, that wasn't my original plan. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. I was so worried. I broke into her room to wait, hoping that if she went anywhere it would be there. And then she was opening the door, and I couldn't stop myself. I had to kiss her. I didn't realize that it would lead to the rest."

Joe blinked. Frank wasn't usually this verbose. He realized he must be really torn up about it. "Do you regret it? I mean, was it… bad?"

"No! And, yes."

"Yes it was bad?"

"Joe! Yes, I think I might regret it, though I don't want to, and no, it definitely wasn't bad." Frank ran his fingers through his hair. Just thinking about it analytically put his mind right back into bed with her.

"If it wasn't bad, why would you regret it? She must have wanted it too."

"That's what I'm not sure about. I mean, we did it again this morning, and she kind of took over, so I figured that meant she was just as happy about the situation as I was." Frank cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed to be talking about this with his brother. Usually Joe was the one sharing about his sexcapades, not him. "But then we woke up to her work calling her, and she couldn't leave the room fast enough."

"Oh, come on, Frank. That's just Nancy. You know the first thing on her mind is always whatever case she's working on." He took a sip from his can of coke. He was convinced that Frank was overreacting, though he didn't think it would go over well if he told him that.

"I do know, and I understand," he said adamantly. Then his voice got more quiet. "But Joe, she wouldn't even look me in the face the whole time she was getting ready to leave. It was like she was ashamed."

"Ashamed of my big bro? I don't believe it. Look, she probably just felt awkward to be called away to work with a naked guy in her bed. Girls can be funny about that sometimes, don't ask me why."

Frank gave him a disapproving look. "I don't want to know."

"Suit yourself." Joe thought for a minute. "Honestly, I think you should stop worrying about what happened and start thinking about what's going to happen. You two have to either do it again or talk about doing it again soon, or you're going to enter one-night stand territory."

This was news to Frank. "What?"

"If you go back to pretending that you guys don't want anything from each other because you don't know how to make it work, you'll lose your shot forever. You can't have sex with her and expect things to go back to how they were." Joe had learned this lesson early on in his dating career, which is why he preferred to sleep with people who he wasn't worried about hurting or losing.

"I don't want things to be how they were. We didn't speak for five years!" He was frustrated now. It seemed that he had screwed everything up. Literally.

"So, what do you want?"

Frank opened his mouth, still exasperated, then paused. What did he want? "I don't know." He got up and started pacing. "I can't imagine not being with her now, Joe. And not just the sex, it's everything."

"Frank, I never thought you slept with her just to be doing it. That's never been you, even if I did encourage you otherwise once or twice." He took another sip. All this talk was making him look at himself. Yeah, he had sex for fun sometimes, but he never took advantage of the girl. She always knew where he stood. But, it might be nice to be with someone he actually cared for deeply.

"What do I do?" Frank's voice was strained. Thinking about losing Nancy was twisting his stomach into a knot.

"You just have to talk to her. Tell her the truth about how you feel."

"Yeah, if I can figure it out for myself first," he muttered, almost to himself. He stopped pacing and sat back down on his bed.

"And seriously, you just need to relax. Really, if it was as good as you claim, you should be feeling plenty relaxed about now."

Joe grinned and ducked as a pillow came flying at him, missing his coke can by only a couple of inches.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Nancy grumbled to herself as she made her way to the Hardys' hotel room. Deciding to place several more agents in and around the party didn't exactly count as a master plan. Granted, it would ultimately help, but she wasn't sure what they expected to happen that they could capitalize on.

Knocking on the door, she braced herself to see Frank again. She really didn't know what to say to him after last night. It was ridiculous to think any guy would want to be with someone with her lifestyle, and she was prepared to tell him that. But every time she started rehearsing in her head she felt like she was going to throw up. She had been trying to push off thinking about him and his dark eyes, his strong body, his…

The door opened, startling her, and she stepped back as she looked into eyes that were blue instead of brown.

"Nancy! I didn't know we were expecting you. Unless, this is an unplanned sort of visit…" Joe trailed off suggestively.

She blushed furiously and smacked his arm with the back of his hand. "Of course not! I just want to talk about the case, see if we can't crack this stupid thing."

"I thought that's what your team was for," he said, as he stepped back into the room.

"Well, so did I, but so far the only useful help I've had is from you two." Nancy glanced around. The bathroom was dark, and Frank was obviously absent from the small hotel room. "Speaking of two, where's Frank?"

Joe raised his eyebrows at her. "Grabbing us a late lunch."

She looked back at him, meeting his eyes. "I don't know, okay? I don't know how I feel about it, which you apparently already heard about."

Joe frowned. "Hey, it's not like he divulged details. I just know my brother. I also know he thinks you don't want him anymore."

She raised her chin defiantly, though inside her chest was aching. "I don't want him to be tied to me, like N – , like other people. It's not fair to him."

Joe was steamed now. "Like Ned? If you haven't noticed, Frank is pretty much the opposite of Ned. He actually appreciates that you like solving cases. I can't believe you would use him like that! You know how he feels about you!"

Nancy felt like he had slapped her. She hated that Joe thought of her that way, and worse, that maybe Frank did. "I didn't use him! I lo – "

Suddenly the door swung open revealing a very confused Frank, and they fell immediately silent. They hadn't even heard the key in the door, they were talking so loudly.

"What's going on, guys?" He asked, closing the door and looking back forth between them.

Joe recovered first. "She's just frustrated about her team. Apparently they suck at figuring out anything. Right, Nancy?"

She looked down, concealing her pain. "Uh, right. I need to use the bathroom, I'll be right back."

Ducking into the little room, she leaned over the sink and tried to calm her breathing. Enough of this, she had a case to solve.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Ten minutes later, the three of them were sitting around the dinette table munching on fruit. It didn't surprise any of them how well they could compartmentalize their emotions to get the job done.

"Okay, so let's review. What do we know?" Frank asked, careful not to look at Nancy too long.

"Bracelets are being passed from the show to different cities with a code indicating a future bombing," Joe answered, still silently fuming, but mostly at himself.

"Who's involved?" Frank asked again. He had to be as analytical and thorough as possible.

This time Nancy responded, "Gabrielle. Tom Marsh. Maybe Charlotte and Pinkston. Several different thieves. Possibly jewelers. The guy Marsh mentioned on the phone – Marek." She paused. "Oh, Marek! I remembered during the meeting where I'd heard the name. He's known for threatening terrorist activity, though no one thought he'd actually do anything."

"Okay, so what's the same and what's different about each different instance?" Joe asked, picking up on Frank's line of questioning.

"Well, each time Gabrielle and Marsh have been with the show. But it seems that all of the thieves were different," Nancy said, picking at a napkin idly.

"I bet that since Marek's a known terrorist, he's working with different cells. Each city had it's own group and thief, and the bracelet was how Marek gave orders to each different cell," Frank said thoughtfully.

"That makes a lot of sense, actually." Nancy paused. "What about Gabrielle and Marsh?"

"Marek needed someone to act as a liaison. Someone to make sure things happened and to run interference. Marsh definitely seems to fill the hired thug profile."

"Gabrielle has an M necklace," Nancy said quietly, thinking out loud.

Both brothers looked at her. "What?" Joe asked.

"Marek starts with an M. She said to some models in the dressing room that she was given the necklace to remember the family business. The M is how the thieves could identify her as being with Marek."

They sat silently for a minute as this information seemed to click into place.

"Pinkston and Charlotte could be simply looking the other way, maybe getting paid off," Frank finally said.

"Pinkston is the one who hired us!"

"Stranger things have happened, bro."

"What now?" Joe asked, still popping some grapes in his mouth.

"Well, you're supposed to be dead. But Frank and I will go to the party and try to find proof for all of this. Hopefully we'll find Marsh or Gabrielle, though I'd be surprised to see them there." Nancy got up to go, leaving a small pile of napkin shreds at her place.

**Review and let me know what you think, please? :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Now, I know you wish I had updated sooner. Here's the reason: I've been working on the M outtake I promised, which is now finished! I posted it under the title Missing Pieces. So, if that sort of story interests you, please check it out and let me know what you think! Being my first lemony type of story, I'm a little nervous about it, and I'd really like feedback :). But be warned, it is rated M, meaning adult content.  
**

**Thanks to the reviewers of chapter 16: Diamond and Stars, Lady Emily, MistyGirl1, Missy, maisey, ann, Prismatic Iris, KennaC, memrylaine, Memory Keeper, Gotta Dance 88, blue, Michelle Gallichio, leafy**

**You guys are awesome! Your reviews mean so much!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a strawberry lime Jones Soda and a pint of chocolate chip Dreyers ice cream. **

Chapter 17

"Okay, Nancy, I'm going to need you to repeat that."

Nancy paced the length of her hotel room and sighed, frustrated. "Bess, you heard what I said."

"Yeah, I heard it. I'm just having a hard time believing that you're serious!"

"Believe it."

"How? When? And why don't you sound more thrilled about this? You landed a Hardy boy! The rest of us have been trying to do that for years!"

Nancy chuckled despite herself. It was no secret that Bess and Joe had danced around each other on their many cases, though neither ever took the next step. "I don't think I need to tell you the mechanics of how. It happened last night," she cringed internally, "and this morning."

"What?" Bess's screech was loud enough that Nancy jerked the cell phone away from her ear.

"Yeah, and, well, I guess I'm trying to figure out how to tell him that it won't happen again." She slumped against the wall after she said it, feeling defeated.

"After all this time you finally hook up with him, and now you don't want him? Why ever not? And hon, I have to tell you - you do it once with a guy, you can brush it off as a mistake. But twice? You don't do it twice unless you want to keep doing it."

"Oh, Bess, that doesn't have to be true. And it's not that I don't want him. I don't know why people keep assuming that." Nancy muttered the last part, almost to herself.

"Well, maybe because we're not in your head hearing the logic you're telling yourself. All we hear is that you have something amazing right in front of you and you are turning your back."

_Frank could always follow the logic in my head_, Nancy thought with a pang. Out loud she said, "I already decided that I won't have a relationship while I'm still doing this job. It just causes pain for everyone involved, especially the one I leave behind."

"I think you are seriously underestimating Frank, and that's not fair to him. You can't make this decision without him, Nancy. I love you, but you are making a mistake."

Nancy wasn't sure if she'd ever heard Bess sound so serious. Could there be something to what she's saying? Uncomfortable with that thought, she changed the subject. "Well, in any event, Joe blew up at me today."

"That's nothing new. You two are always trying to get the best of each other."

"No, he was actually mad. He has the wrong idea about… what happened."

Bess sounded completely unconcerned when she responded. "He'll calm down. Really, Joe's nothing more than a two-year-old throwing a tantrum when he gets like that. Cute, but unwilling to listen to anything."

Nancy outright laughed at that, and glanced at the clock. "Great description. I have to go, I can't be late."

Getting of the phone, she slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. Maybe she was underestimating Frank. Letting her mind wander, she let herself remember what had happened in that very room, if only for a moment.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

"Amanda, could come here please?"

Nancy squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her fists momentarily. This had not been her day. Her conversation with Bess had helped, but she still felt a little like she'd been hit by a bus since the confrontation with Joe. It bothered her that she never got a chance to talk to him about it, and she worried that she might not ever get it before the case was closed. Almost desperately, Nancy tried to stop herself from even beginning to think about what to say to Frank. She felt more confused than ever.

Composing herself, she turned around to find Charlotte frowning at her in the nearly empty dressing room.

"Yes, Charlotte?"

She eyed Nancy with pursed lips before speaking, her voice calm but threatening. "I received complaints that you have been pestering guests. Also, there are reports of you gossiping with other spokeswomen. I will not be tolerant of these activities anymore. They tarnish the reputation of this show. If I hear one more report of this nature about you, you will be terminated. This is your last warning. Do you understand?"

Nancy's pride prevented her from shivering like another model would. But she was so close; she couldn't afford to get fired when the answers were almost leaping out at her.

"Yes, ma'am."

Charlotte didn't respond right away. Giving her a cool look, she finally said, "Whatever you are up to, I recommend that you put an end to it. I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

A chill crawled inside Nancy's skin, but still she replied, "Yes, ma'am."

The older woman's face softened just the smallest amount, almost making her look more frightening. "Good. You'll find someone more suitable for you eventually. Just not on my time." Without waiting for Nancy's response, she turned on her toe and walked away.

Everything she said had sounded like thinly veiled threats directed right at Nancy, except that last part. _What in the world would she mean by that?_ She wondered to herself.

Deciding not to worry too much about the statements of an obviously unstable woman, Nancy finished slipped on her heels and made her way into the ballroom. Before she got there, she felt a smooth hand on her arm. Turning around, she found herself facing the two gossipy models from before.

Quickly she glanced around, and seeing Charlotte preoccupied she asked, "What is it?"

The girls glanced at each other nervously. Finally one said, "Well, we couldn't help but overhear."

Nancy recognized the whiny, high voice of one of them. She smirked at her word choice. "Of course."

The other one continued, "And we thought you might want to know that we saw Charlotte and Mr. Pinkston together earlier."

All hint of a smile left Nancy's face as she took in that information. This could be very useful. "What do you mean, together?"

"They were whispering. I couldn't tell what they were saying. They didn't look happy, though."

"Charlotte didn't look happy," the other interrupted. "Mr. Pinkston looked completely calm. How he manages that with her yelling at him I'd like to know. I did pick out some words, like 'secret', and 'careful'."

"Why are you telling me this?" Nancy asked. She was glad they were, but wary of their knowledge of her wanting information.

Whiny Voice answered, "We just know that you like knowing things. There's something funny going on around here, and we don't want to get fired."

"Thanks. Hopefully everything will be taken care of soon." She hoped that she was telling them the truth as she said it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Frank watched Nancy enter the room, her long dress swishing around her legs. She spotted him too, and started to make her way across the room. It was no accident that Frank was over once again at Carlton's display. He needed to thank the man for his help.

Pulling his gaze away from Nancy, he turned to the older man. He had been telling him about his latest design and Frank, as usual, was only half listening. Carlton stopped talking when he noticed Frank's serious look.

"I want you to know that you helped save some innocent lives."

He looked taken aback. "Who, me? Just by showing you some designs?"

"I can't tell you anything more than that, and that I'm grateful for your help."

Carlton looked pleased with himself, even in his confusion. "I'm always happy to help a fellow gentleman." He nudged Frank as he talked, noticing Nancy coming towards them.

She greeted him, and when it seemed Carlton had turned away, she said to Frank quietly, "I'm not sure exactly what to be doing. I have a hard time believing that Marek will be anywhere near this show, if he's even in the city."

Carlton's hearing must have been better than she thought, because he piped up, "Marek? Lorenzo's daughter dated a Marek for a while. I never heard whatever happened with that," he mused to himself.

Nancy turned around to stare at the man. "Lorenzo Musafia? What daughter?"

Surprise colored Carlton's face. "Didn't you know? That model Gabrielle is Lorenzo's only little girl."

Nancy looked up at Frank. This new information seemed to sink into him at the same time it hit her. Gabrielle's words came back to her once again, and she whispered them to herself: "The family business."

"Musafia is in on it!" He said urgently, and they both turned to stare across the room at the man as he cheerfully greeted potential costumers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**You know you want to review :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Oh, this chapter is BIG (in several ways)! We're hitting the home stretch, just a couple more chapters to go! I am committed to finishing before school starts.  
**

**Thank you reviewers of chapter 17!: Diamond and Stars, memrylaine, MistyGirl1, Missy, silverphoenix, southern-punk, Michelle Gallichio, Prismatic Iris, KennaC, IrishShamrock86, lilacsarepurple, Mystari, Gotta Dance 88, ann, MissMonique, mystery-writer08, MAGGIE**

**I'm so grateful for your support, I can't begin to tell you how much!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a pair of striped tights and a scarf.  
**

Chapter 18

"_Musafia is in on it!"_

"We need to go confront him, right now." Nancy felt very anxious and almost began charging across the room. There was someone right in front of her involved in hurting a lot of people, and she wanted him to pay.

Frank knew that look in her eye and grabbed her upper arm, ignoring the feeling of her skin. "Hang on a second, Drew. We don't want to tip him off."

She lightly shrugged him off, annoyed that he had stopped her, but she knew he was right. "Fine. So what do you suggest we do?"

"Let's go talk to him. Just follow my lead."

He placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and they crossed the room to Musafia's display, carefully strolling just as if they were any other normal couple. _Yeah, normal. As if that could ever happen_, Nancy thought wistfully.

They approached just as another group wandered off. "Mr. Musafia, my name is Francois LeSeuer. I've been meaning to come chat with you for a while now. Your selection is quite impressive."

The man's smile grew even wider at Frank's praise before turning to Nancy. "Well, thank you. And who is this lovely lady?"

Nancy held out her hand to him, introducing herself. She pulled back as soon as she could without seeming rude. Touching him made her feel gross inside.

Frank decided to start pushing. "Now, I must confess, I was hoping I would have a chance to talk to your daughter, Gabrielle."

Musafia's smile became noticeably forced as he responded, "Ah, Gabrielle? I can help you with anything you may need. She is feeling unwell tonight, taking the night off. I am sure you understand."

Nancy's patience was wearing thin. Enough dancing around when he clearly knew something. Leaning close and talking quietly, she said, "I understand, sir, that your daughter is wanted for questioning in a very serious case. Now, you can help us find her, or you can be arrested for aiding her and then help us find her. It's your choice."

Internally, Frank cringed a little. He wasn't sure she should have divulged that kind of information so quickly. But, the man changed his tune as he paled a little bit.

"Oh, I am so ashamed of my daughter. She is getting into all sorts of trouble. I try to tell her to stop, but she doesn't listen to an old man like me. Forgive me for trying to protect her."

"Just tell us where we can find her."

"I'll need to take you to her myself. She will not run away if I am there first."

"Fine. Let's go." She gestured to the exit.

"Now?" he asked, but thought better of complaining when he saw the hard set of Nancy's face. "Yes, of course. Let me tell my assistant I will be away for a while."

After organizing things with his apprentice, Musafia led them to one of the service hallways instead of the main exit. Frank felt uneasy about the arrangement. Something didn't feel right about Musafia being so willing to give up his daughter. It was even stranger that they were heading deeper into the building. But, not wanting to mess up Nancy's plan, he held his tongue about his misgivings as they walked through narrow hallway.

"Where exactly are we going? You are supposed to be taking us to Gabrielle."

"Yes, and so I am. I told you that she was not feeling well when she arrived, so she was taken to a small room to rest for the evening. That is where we are going."

They approached a back stairway that led down into what seemed to be the basement. Frank's feeling of unease multiplied. He really didn't want to go down there without people knowing where they went. The whole dark basement thing just seemed so typical of a bad situation. After all, this was far from his first case.

"Hey, Nan, don't you think we should call for some backup or someth – "

"Here we are!" Musafia said, a little too brightly, Frank thought, as the man turned the knob at the bottom of the stairs.

Nancy charged through door, ready to be finished with the whole thing, when she froze in her place.

"What's going on? You're blocking the way…" Frank trailed off as he stepped around her to come face to face with Tom Marsh and his gun.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, Joe was frustrated with being left out of the case. He didn't really think that anyone would know if he was supposed to be there or not, as long as he kept out of the way.

Sneaking in through the service entrance, he blended right in wearing his catering clothes from the previous parties. A few members of the serving staff even greeted him as he walked through the hallways to the kitchen.

Not surprisingly, Tom Marsh was no where to be found. If anything that made Joe's job of fitting in a little easier, since Marsh would be the only one expecting him to _not _be there. He wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to accomplish in being at the party. Mostly he wanted to keep an eye on Frank in case he got in trouble.

Looking across the ballroom, he saw Frank and Nancy talking to the man who always made cracks about Nancy's body. Joe chuckled to himself, remembering Frank's reactions to him. They seemed to be in the middle of some intense discussion, and he was about to go join them when they started moving quickly across the room.

Keeping one eye on his brother, Joe noticed Sasha, the girl who had verified Marsh's alibi in the kitchen, pouring drinks for some of the businessmen. It was possible that she knew more about him than she let on, and that was why she had backed up his story. Deciding to find out, he grabbed her arm to pull her aside as she passed by him at a service entrance.

Taking Joe by complete surprise, his cheek stung with the impact of her slap.

"What did you do that for?" He asked incredulously, holding his hand to the throbbing skin on his face. Looking around quickly, he was relieved to find that no one seemed to notice the sound since they were in a back corner of the room.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Joe! I didn't, I just, I thought you were someone else." Sasha said, stumbling over her words as she ducked her head, unsuccessfully trying to hide her blush.

"Someone else?" Joe frowned. "Has someone been bothering you?"

"No, it's nothing. I'm just a jumpy person, that's all. Really, I'm sorry I slapped you." Her eyes pleaded with him to let it go as she spoke.

_She is way too sweet a girl to have some guy treat her badly enough to have a slapping reflex_, Joe thought to himself. He didn't want to push it though, deciding instead to check on her when the case wrapped up.

"Hey, it's no problem. I'm sorry I startled you. I just wanted to ask if you've seen Tom Marsh lately."

"Tom?" She looked even more distressed at the name. "No, I haven't seen him. Wh-Why would you think I'd know where he is?"

"I know that sometimes you work the same section, and you stood up for him that one time, in the kitchen." Joe coughed, still a little embarrassed that she had witnessed that less-than-fine moment in his detective work. Looking up, he noticed Frank and Nancy following some man into a different hallway. He really needed to catch up to them.

"Don't worry, I'll never do it again." She hugged herself, as if attempting to make herself smaller. "He was not happy that I did that."

Joe felt his insides beginning to boil, temporarily forgetting his brother. He _hated _Tom Marsh. "What happened?" It almost came out as a growl.

When she spoke, her voice was timid. "Nothing, he just told me to stay out of his business. Which, trust me, won't be a problem. But to answer your earlier question, I saw him before the party in one of the back hallways, but not since then. Now please, I've got to get back to work."

Joe sighed, "Okay, thanks. I'm sorry if he scared you."

As she walked away, he crossed the room to follow Frank. His hand was on the door when he heard his name barked out.

"Joe!"

Turning, he saw the grumpy boss from the kitchen. Joe had no idea why he was approaching him now.

"Sir?"

"We're short handed tonight. Marsh didn't show up, and you didn't sign in. Imagine my surprise to see you ducking into a hallway that we aren't using tonight."

Thinking fast, Joe responded, "Oh, really? I was told by some other staff member to go back here to find a bathroom. I'm having some digestive problems, sir." He patted his stomach for added effect.

The man eyed him speculatively. "Whatever. Just don't let it interfere with your work. Come with me to the kitchen and I'll show you where the service bathroom is. And if I see you coming back here again, I won't hesitate to call security."

"Understood, sir."

Joe let himself be dragged back to kitchen, knowing that the sooner he got off the radar of his boss, the sooner he could get to his brother. Because everything inside of him was screaming that Frank needed his help, now.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Nancy hated herself for walking so blindly into a trap. She had behaved like a rookie, and if she got out of this alive she wouldn't ever forgive herself. Both she and Frank stood with hands slightly raised. She had a gun strapped to her leg, but she couldn't risk reaching for it with Frank being in Marsh's range. Technically, he was a civilian, which is something she shouldn't have ignored when they started following Musafia. Though at the moment, she couldn't help but notice that his gun was trained directly on her, not Frank.

"You, Agent Drew, have become quite the thorn in my side." Marsh hissed.

She scowled at him. "Don't worry, the feeling is mutual."

Nancy noticed that Musafia had closed the door behind them and was standing in front of it, arms crossed. He appeared to be unarmed, though she couldn't be sure. His movement caught her eye, as he pulled out a phone and started talking in Italian, too quietly and quickly for her to catch.

Frank also saw that the gun was on Nancy, and he was trying to stay calm. He didn't think he could handle watching her get shot, after all they'd been through in the past few days. Biding his time, he listened to Marsh and Nancy bicker.

"Why are you doing this? What do you gain?" she was asking him.

He laughed darkly. "Something you wouldn't understand." Something indefinable passed across his face, and Frank seized the chance to leap at him.

Nancy watched in horror as Frank attempted to grab at the weapon as he sprung into action. Marsh saw what he was doing with just enough time to turn the gun back at Frank and fire, a silencer keeping the noise from leaving the room. Nancy thought her heart stopped temporarily as Frank staggered backwards. Marsh grabbed him roughly as Frank fell to his knees, facing Nancy. She started breathing again when she saw the dark red stain on his left arm, not his chest. He was still alive. But if he didn't get help soon she worried he would bleed out.

Frank's eyes, while tight with pain, burned into hers with apologies. She stared back, hoping she was conveying that she understood. He had been trying to protect her, even if it was stupid of him. What was happening in that room is exactly what she's been worried about. Everyone she loves gets hurt because of her. If Frank hadn't been trying to save her he wouldn't be bleeding right now. But while Nancy was thinking this, she also couldn't help but feel an overwhelming regret that he didn't know that she loved him, that the reason she wasn't sure she could be with him was precisely because she loved him.

From a far corner of the room Nancy heard clapping, startling her out of these thoughts. Then Gabrielle and another man, who she assumed was Marek, entered into the dim patch of light.

"Nicely done," Marek said. "I have to admit, I didn't think either of you would try something so early on. Though I would advise against you trying anything else, or your lover here might not be standing up again."

Nancy felt panic threatening when she saw that Marsh held his gun against Frank's temple.

________________________________________________________________________________________

**Small cliffie :) Let me know what you think, please?**


	19. Chapter 19

**Wow, I don't think I've ever written a chapter with much action before (not that there's _that _much). I hope it came out alright :) Also, chapter 2 of Missing Pieces is up, should that be of interest to anyone!  
**

**Thanks to the wonderful chapter 18 reviewers!: Diamond and Stars, Connie, MAGGIE, Prismatic Iris, southern-punk, MistyGirl1, Memory Keeper, Gotta Dance 88, Iola Hardy, anonymous, lilacsarepurple, missmoonyy, yesiam1421, KennaC**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own I large whiteboard calendar to keep track of my life. It's necessary, believe me. **

Chapter 19

_Nancy felt panic threatening when she saw that Marsh held his gun against Frank's temple._

Nancy had to do something, or Frank was in a lot of trouble. His wound didn't look as serious as it could be, but that gun was still pressing against his skin. The look on his face was serious, though she was surprised to note that his expression was calm. She felt a new surge of love for the guy in front of her. He was strong and brave, two things she was trying to make herself at that moment.

Knowing they were dead without help, Nancy had only one thing to do. She clasped her hands together, only halfway faking anxiousness. Finding the small latch on the ring she wore on her index finger, she flicked it open then shut very quickly. That was supposed to send a signal of distress to her team, asking for help as soon as possible. She just hoped they would get there fast.

Frank felt like his entire arm was on fire. It seemed mildly ironic to him that he was bleeding out of a wound only inches from the spot where he bore a scar from the bullet that struck him a year ago. He was grateful that at least they kept getting his left arm instead of right, small blessing that it was.

Musafia caught Frank's eye as he hung up his phone. What he couldn't understand is what reason the man would have to be involved in the scheme. He had a respectable jewelry shop that always seemed busy with interest. Why chance ruining that?

Frank watched the man as he looked around nervously. "Lorenzo, why are you working with them? Just because of your daughter?"

A sharp pain on the skin of his temple cut off his questioning.

"Shut your mouth, or I'll do it for you," Marsh hissed from behind him. He had pressed the tip of the gun deeply onto the side his head. Frank pinched his eyes shut at the feeling of the cold metal. He _really_ didn't want to die; he had to be more careful.

Nancy watched Frank as he winced, the gun making an impression on his skin. It was taking all of her restraint to keep from launching herself at Marsh, anything to get that damn gun away from Frank's pained, handsome face. She had to stall for time until they got help. It surprised her when the old man behind her spoke up, nervously answering his questions.

"Well, you see, Gabrielle did approach me about the whole… arrangement. But I wouldn't do such a filthy thing without an adequate compensation. The kickback I get works out nicely." Musafia's voice started out shaky, but it grew in confidence as he talked about his rewards.

Marek had stepped forward as the older man responded, and he spoke before he could reveal anything else. "Now, Lorenzo, we don't want to give away all of our dirty little secrets, do we? How about you stay quiet and let the rest of us handle this unfortunate situation."

Nancy felt her blood boil at hearing the evil man speak. "Why are you even here?" she asked, her voice harsh. "Shouldn't you be in another country by now?"

"Why, my dear, to see your pretty face, of course." He chuckled as Nancy's face flushed red with rage. She was observant even in her anger, though, because she couldn't help but take note of Gabrielle's reactions to his words. She looked almost as mad as Nancy felt.

"Why don't you stop playing around, Marek," Gabrielle snapped. "We should be getting out of here." She shot daggers at her with flaring, dark eyes, and Nancy's mind began whirling with what it meant. But then a familiar, weak voice interrupted the thoughts speeding through her head.

"They were here to plan their next move with Musafia, Nan. We're just a bonus." She heard that Frank's breathing was beginning to be more strained. The pain and blood loss was starting to affect him. _Where is my team? _

"Ah, smart boy, this one. That is mostly true, I suppose. We did have intentions to pay little Miss Drew, here, a visit eventually. You just succeeded in moving up our timetable. Imagine my good fortune when you took away all the trouble of finding you when you came to us." Marek grinned at Nancy, and she felt as if something slimy had oozed over her skin.

"Now that we have found them, can we go? There are probably others." Gabrielle sounded whiney as she spoke.

In a sudden moment, everything clicked into place in Nancy's mind. Gabrielle and Marek were lovers. It explained why she was so angry when he was making advances at her. She had thought that it was Marsh and Gabrielle, not Marek. But she was only toying with the hit man. She got him to do her dirty work, while he did it to win her affection. Nancy realized immediately how she could use this to her advantage.

She looked at the hardened man, straight into his cold eyes. "You're in love with her." The words came out softly, almost pitying.

He scowled. Almost snarling as he spoke, he responded, "You don't know what you are talking about. Be careful, I would not want my finger to slip." He pressed the gun deeper into Frank's skin, causing him to breathe in quickly.

Nancy's heart was beating wildly in her chest. She knew she was playing a dangerous game and Frank's life was on the gambling table. If only she could get him to point the gun somewhere else. At her, even, instead of him.

Forming a plan in her mind, she stared at Frank, willing him to understand what she was attempting to convey through her eyes. His forehead furrowed, telling her that at least he was _trying_ to understand. He realized that she had an idea. She moved her eyes up to the gun, to Frank's good arm, then back at his face quickly. His headed nodded just enough for her to see that it did, and his expression was complacent. All of this happened in just a few seconds.

Feeling encouraged by the trust she found on Frank's face, Nancy knew it was time to set things in motion.

"Tom, you don't have to do this. You don't have to do everything that Gabrielle demands." She tried to make her voice sound understanding, as if she was on his side. In addition, Gabrielle laughed at her statement, mocking her. The girl was either really stupid, or really cocky. _Probably both_, Nancy thought.

"Shut up!" Marsh shouted at Nancy. "You don't know anything!"

"I understand love. I know it can be scary. I also know that it can make you do stupid things, things you wouldn't do if you could think rationally." She realized as she spoke that she was talking to both Marsh and Frank, though her eyes were trained on the former. She _did_ understand. She had been acting so stupid, and she wanted Frank to know it.

The hand holding the gun was white-knuckled now, and Marsh looked almost ready to crack. "Stop it!" He roared.

"No, you stop! Just walk away from this!"

Several things happened all at once, almost in slow motion. Thinking back on the events, it reminded Frank of old computer games that couldn't handle too many things moving at the same time, causing the whole screen to slow down for a few seconds.

The metal of the gun was suddenly gone from his skin, and in his peripheral vision he saw it swing upwards and over his shoulder at Nancy. He had guessed that this was her plan – make Marsh agitated enough with her to get the gun away from him. His part of the plan was to deal with it when it happened.

Mustering all the strength left in his rapidly weakening body, Frank grabbed the gun arm with his right hand and stood up. Marsh flew up and over his shoulder and impacted the hard floor with his back, the gun dislodging from his hand as he went.

Right as he landed, the door swung open with a bang and Joe burst through. Barely even taking time to survey the scene, he launched himself at Marek, tackling the man to the floor and landing a solid punch on his nose.

Nancy wasted no time. She kicked backwards at Musafia and her spiked heel made contact with his crotch. Ignoring his wails of pain, she rushed at Gabrielle. The girl was trying to get a gun out of her own leg holster, but Nancy hit her wrist with enough force to make her drop the weapon. Gabrielle was obviously more eye candy for the men than anything else, because Nancy had her pinned to the floor within seconds.

Surveying the room, she found Marsh passed out and a very pale Frank lying next to him. Joe was still wrestling with Marek, but it seemed that he was gaining the upper hand. Her main concern was the older Hardy. He was beginning to look like Death himself, his dark eyes standing out against the white of his skin. Giving Gabrielle a swift hit to the head, the girl fainted, going limp beneath her.

Nancy hurried over to Frank. He was blinking rapidly, as if trying to force himself to stay awake. She was using his jacket to press against his arm when she saw Joe give Marek a final blow, rendering him unconscious.

Joe stood up slowly, then raised his hands in the air. "Thank you, thank you very much! Don't worry, I know I'm awesome."

"Joe!"

Nancy's aggrieved voice pierced through his celebration, causing him to whip around. What he saw made his stomach lurch. His brother was bloody, so much so that he couldn't tell where it was coming from, and Nancy looked as scared as he had ever seen her.

"What happened?" he said as he fell to his knees next to his brother.

Nancy thought she might cry if she tried to explain everything. "He was trying to protect me. You know how he is." Already the tears were threatening; her throat was tight.

Joe had to stay calm. His brother needed him. "After what he did to Marsh I didn't think he was hurt! We have to get him out of here."

Frank was only partially aware of what was going on around him. He remembered a lot of people bursting through the door. He could still hear Nancy's panicked voice, asking what took so long. Blackness had been threatening to overtake him for a while. The thing that stuck in his mind as he gave in to the sweet release was the piercing blue of Nancy's eyes.

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	20. Chapter 20

**Um... So sorry I haven't been around. The good news is, I finished the whole thing over the weekend aside from some small editing, so there will definitely be an ending! No worries, you won't be left wondering forever! But yeah, I really hate that I made you all wait so long, and I appreciate your patience.  
**

**Massive amounts of gratitude to all of the reviewers since the last chapter: **

**AZWriter, Diamond and Stars, lilacsarepurple, KennaC, anon, Cerebella-'CeCe'-Crew, Colie88, Michelle Gallichio, southern-punk, Prismatic Iris, Rose, Gotta Dance 88, MistyGirl1, Zubrovnik, Smithy, Dominique Francon**

**All of your reviews are what got me back in front of my computer to finish this thing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a five-subject notebook and a new planner. (School...*sigh*)**

Chapter 20

The first thing Frank became aware of was an irritating beeping sound, but it was quickly eclipsed by the second thing: a sharp ache in his left arm. The third thing was a sensation of somebody squeezing his hand. Instinctively he tried to squeeze back, but in his haze he wasn't sure if he actually made his fingers do it.

"Frank? I'm here, Frank. You're doing great." Hearing the voice that echoed through his dreams made him realize that he couldn't possibly be awake. He settled back into the blackness, not wanting the dream voice to leave him yet.

"If you can hear me, it's Nancy." The hand squeezed his again. "Joe's fine; he's here, just down the hall getting some food." Frank tried to frown. His brother wasn't typically in the same dreams that featured Nancy. He attempted to force his eyes open, just in case he wasn't dreaming. But his lids felt as if they were weighted down and the effort exhausted him. He let himself sink back into the soothing darkness.

Nancy watched Frank's face smooth out again as his body went back to sleep. The large bandage wrapped around his upper arm was white and noticeable, and her eyes were drawn to it as she replayed the events of the night before. He had been in surgery to remove the bullet for the better part of the night. He would heal, but it might be months before his arm was up to full strength again. It was her fault that Frank was lying there - weak, almost childlike - at that moment. Every part of her knew it and felt that guilt.

"Nancy. You can't keep beating yourself up over this. He's been through worse and been fine. He'll be fine now."

She looked up to see Joe beside her chair, scrutinizing her as he held out a foam cup filled with something, but it didn't look like coffee.

Noticing the direction of her eyes, he answered her unspoken question. "It's tea. You really need to sleep. I'll let you know if he comes around."

When Nancy finally spoke, her voice was thick and rough. With Frank she could be calm, had to be. But she didn't know if she could hold it in anymore. "Joe, I can't leave him. I need to tell him…" Her voice trailed off. She wasn't sure what she wanted to tell Frank, but somehow she had to get out all the feelings built up inside her from the past few days. _Has it really only been days?_ She wondered, disbelieving.

Joe sighed inwardly. She really was torturing herself, and it was almost painful to watch. Setting the cup down on the bedside table, he pulled up a second chair and sat next to her. His elbows rested on his legs and he clasped his hands together almost anxiously as he leaned towards her. Having a heart-to-heart wasn't something he did regularly.

"Look, I want you to know that I'm sorry about what I said to you. I know you weren't just using Frank. Anyone with half a brain – and I know I have more than that, despite what Frank might claim – can see that."

A ghost of a smile flickered on her face at his quip. "Thanks, Joe. I just need him to know how I feel, regardless of whether or not he still wants anything with me. I owe him that, especially after getting him shot."

"Please, Frank has no trouble getting shot all on his own. Not saying it isn't scary, believe me, but you really should give credit where it's due."

"Credit?"

"Of course. Don't take away the guy's glory. He took a bullet for you, saving all our lives in the process, right?"

Nancy chuckled in spite of herself. Frank definitely did have a hero complex. "Sure, sure."

The body in the bed next to them shifted, and a sigh escaped from Frank's lips. Both Nancy and Joe immediately turned to look at his face. Nancy caught a glimpse of Joe's expression, the muscles in his face tight. For all his strength and bravado, he really was worried about his older brother.

Even after moving, Frank stayed asleep. Nancy thought she might go crazy with lack of patience and sleep. She exhaled and leaned back in her chair.

Joe noticed this small display of anxiety and pushed the cup of tea at her again. "Drink this and get some sleep. I'll call you the second anything changes."

She stared at him for a couple seconds, deciding if she could afford to leave.

"I swear," he added.

"Okay. I guess I could use a shower, maybe some food." He handed her the cup, and she thanked him.

"For what it's worth, I think you and Frank will figure it out. He's crazy about you, Nan. You have to know that."

As she left the hospital for her hotel, she took small sips of the hot liquid. It was surprisingly good. His words, along with Bess's from the day before, were heavy on her mind as she sipped the soothing drink. Who knew the younger Hardy understood relationships, as well as tea?

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"I see you are back for another visit."

The quiet, feminine voice broke into Joe's thoughts, and he looked up into the face of Annette, the cute nurse who had helped him home the day before.

He grinned at her, pushing off his exhaustion. "Yeah, but not for me this time. Your nursing abilities were so good they kept me from needing them again."

His smile deepened at the sight of her dark blush. Evading his statement, she said, "I was so sorry to hear about your brother. He seems to be doing well, though. No complications from surgery."

"And I am definitely happy that that's true. We Hardy men just can't seem to stay away from danger and protecting beautiful women who need it."

A quiet groan escaped from Frank's throat, and Joe immediately turned to look at him. The muscles around his eyes were tensing, as if he was trying to finally open them.

All thoughts of Annette had been quickly forgotten, so it surprised Joe to hear her voice. She sounded more timid, if possible. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Let me know if you need anything."

He turned back around, small apologies and gratitude in his expression. "Thanks for everything, Annette. You really are a great nurse." As the words left his mouth, he found that he wasn't just flirting; he completely meant everything he said. Ducking her head, she slipped out the door.

Looking back at Frank, he saw that his brother's eyes were open now, squinting at the bright light in the room. Joe quickly switched off the bedside lamp, minimizing the discomfort level.

"Finally decided to man up and face the world, huh?"

Frank's lips bent upwards into a small grin. Joe helped him sip some water before he responded. "Had to make sure you weren't getting into more trouble, little brother."

"Trouble?" Joe asked mock-incredulously. "Who's the one lying in a hospital bed this time?"

"Yeah, okay. Point taken." Frank wanted to sit up, but it frustrated him to find he didn't have enough energy to even start attempting it. Joe understood his brother's fidgeting and helped him shift positions. A little part of him ached to see his brother so weak, but he was glad to have a small opportunity to help him after all the times that Frank had taken care of him.

"You feeling okay? You can go back to sleep, and I'll just hang out here. Brush up on my foreign TV shows, since I've completely fallen behind."

"I'm fine, just a little out of it. I doubt I could go back to sleep now. What happened last night? Did we catch them for good?"

"Yeah, while you took out Marsh – and way impressive, since I have no idea how you did that with a bullet in your arm, by the way – Nancy got Gabrielle, and I got Marek. Then a bunch of agents rushed into the room and took over, and we brought you here. As far as I know, they have the four of them under arrest and held for questioning."

"And Nancy?" The urgency in his voice didn't escape Joe's notice.

"I just sent her home to get some sleep. I promised to call her when you woke up, so I should probably do that."

He reached for the phone, but stopped short when Frank's hand caught his arm. He looked up into his brother's face, surprised. "You don't want to see her?"

"I'm sure she needs the rest. We can tell her that I woke up later." Frank knew it was a lame excuse, but was grateful when Joe didn't immediately pursue it. He _thought_ that she had been talking to him as well as Marsh in the basement, but the whole night was a little hazy. He wasn't sure he could handle her telling him they can't be together while he was lying in a hospital bed.

Joe hesitated, then said, "She's kind of messed up right now, Frank. It was really weird to see her like that."

_Messed up?_ Alarms started going off in Frank's head, rivaling the pain in his arm. "She was hurt too? Why didn't you mention that sooner?"

Joe cringed at his mistake, and getting his brother worked up. "No, not injured," he assured him quickly. "She's just really upset, thinks it's her fault that you're here."

He frowned. "That's ridiculous."

"I know, I told her. But I doubt she'll listen to anyone but you."

Frank glanced at the clock and sighed. He suddenly felt exhausted. "Hopefully she'll sleep for a little while longer, and then we'll call her. There are still some lose ends on the case that we need to work through, if Marek and company haven't filled in the blanks yet. I guess she'd know the answer to that."

"Sounds good." Joe picked up the remote, flipping on the TV. "How about in the meantime you translate some of this show for me? I want to find out what happens to Lauren."

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	21. Chapter 21

**Just an epilogue left after this! I know this chapter is a little short, but it was the right place to cut it. **

**I can't believe I hit over 200 reviews! Thank you so much to everyone who helped me do it!: Lisa, Diamond and Stars, missmoonyy, Gotta Dance 88, Michelle Gallichio, southern-punk, hardydrew, ILoveTea, nancy, Prismatic Iris, Smithy, KennaC**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own an 8-month-old holland lop bunny named Stewart, and he's SO cute :)**

Chapter 21

Nancy kicked at the covers twisted around her legs. She'd been awake for over twenty four hours, so there was no reason for her insomnia, even if it was the middle of the day. But every time her eyes closed, all she could see was the haunted, pained look in Frank's eyes as he kneeled on the floor across from her. Punching her pillow in frustration, she tried to will herself to sleep. After another half hour of staring at the ceiling, she sat up, sighing.

Knowing there were still loose ends to tie up, Nancy got dressed in work clothes – professional with enough comfort to fight in. After checking the bedside clock she realized that there was only an hour until that night's show was supposed to start. _Now is the perfect time to question Charlotte and Pinkston, and no games this time. _She was tired of tiptoeing; it was time to get some answers out of them.

Making her way to the room designated as Charlotte's office, she slowed when she heard the older woman's shrill voice coming through the closed door.

"There have been people investigating the show! We are going to be found out!"

Another voice, quieter, calmer, answered her. "I know there are people investigating, my dear. I am the one who hired them." Nancy could only assume this was Mr. Pinkston.

"What happens when they come sniffing their way around us? We cannot afford people knowing about us! My entire reputation is at stake!" Charlotte shouted, sounding, if possible, even more upset.

"Relax. We haven't done anything wrong, and certainly not illegal. There is nothing to find out."

For some reason Charlotte seemed to hesitate at this. Nancy thought she almost sounded hurt when in a much quieter voice she responded, "Nothing to find out?"

"Now, you know that's not what I meant." Pinkston's voice was soothing.

_What an odd thing to get upset about_, Nancy thought. She realized that they weren't talking loud enough to hear clearly through the door anymore. Deciding that she had had enough waiting, Nancy chose this moment to open the door, expecting to find them in the act of plotting their next mood. Which is why her jaw dropped at what she saw.

She did catch them in the act, but not the act of plotting. She opened the door to find Charlotte wrapped in Pinkston's arms, his face seemingly glued to hers. She didn't want to keep watching, and they were still going, since somehow they hadn't heard her come in. But it was like a really horrible date – she just couldn't look away from the carnage. After what seemed like hours but in reality was probably only a few seconds, Charlotte looked up at her and broke away with a small shriek.

All of the clues pointing towards them clicked into place in Nancy's head. "You've been having an affair," she said as a statement, no question any longer.

Charlotte still looked horrified, so Pinkston was the one who responded. "Affair is such a dirty word. Neither of us is otherwise involved."

"Then why have you been sneaking around, and frankly, looking suspicious?" She put her hand on her hip, indignantly.

"It would look poorly on the company if our relationship were to become common knowledge. I am sure you can understand."

Nancy tried to reign in her repulsion as she watched him take her hand and start stroking it. She wasn't sure how to respond to this strange turn of events.

Noticing her hesitation, Pinkston continued, "You can't help who you love, you know, even if the situation inconveniences you. Someday you'll learn that for yourself."

Nancy suppressed a sigh. _Enough with the cosmic intervention already, message received_. "I suppose you're right. You're right about something else too – you aren't doing anything illegal, so I have no reason to mention this to anyone."

"Thank you, Amanda." It was the first thing that Charlotte had ever said to her that wasn't laced with condescension.

She smiled inwardly at the use of her cover name. That was probably the last time it would be used on this trip. They knew who she was, but she supposed it was habit. Turning to go out the door, she said, "Good luck with tonight's show. I'm sure it will go off beautifully." And, she meant it.

As Nancy exited the building, she heard a quiet chirping coming from her cell phone. Fumbling through her overstuffed purse, her fingers finally closed around the small object and she pulled it out triumphantly.

"Drew."

"Hey Nancy, it's Joe."

Panic momentarily seized her heart at the voice of the younger Hardy. "Is Frank okay?"

"Chill, Nan, he's fine. Awake and antsy and complaining of a bullet in his arm - " Nancy barely made out the sound of a smack and Frank saying that he was doing no such thing " – but really he's fine."

She breathed out slowly, forcing her body to calm down. "That is really good news."

"Yep. Anyway, he didn't want to wake you, but I promised I'd call."

Nancy hung up after telling him she'd be there soon. Her heart picked back up again. It was time to tell Frank how she feels.

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Nancy arrived at the hospital to find that the door to Frank's room was open. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked through the doorway. Immediately Frank's eyes found hers, and she found she couldn't look away. He still didn't look exactly well, but he was full of life, he was _Frank_ again.

Joe wasn't oblivious to the energy flying across the room. "Yeah, so I'm thirsty. I'm going to go get a soda." He left hastily after putting down his almost full can.

Nancy laughed. "Subtle."

Frank looked a little chagrined at that. "Well, you know Joe." He hesitated, then continued. "Look Nancy, I understand completely if you don't want to be…"

He trailed off when he saw Nancy quickly cross the room and sit facing him on his bed. Taking a steadying breath, she slid a hand onto his cheek. Frank sat there, unable to move. Whatever was about to happen, he didn't want to break the spell. Still, he couldn't help but do the honorable thing and make sure she knew what he was saying. "Really, if you don't want to - "

This time he was forcibly cut off by Nancy's mouth coming down onto his and stopping his words. She kissed him very gently. She had to make him understand through this kiss that she wanted him, everything about him. Her lips danced slowly over his, soft and sweet, never needing to make it something more.

Finally she pulled away, feeling anxious about his reaction. He took her hands, anchoring her to him. He looked at her for a long time, scrutinizing her, until she finally looked down at their hands. His looked so large compared to hers, engulfing them in his strong fingers.

When he spoke, he sounded amused. "You're not going to run away again, are you?"

Her relief bubbled out as a laugh. "Not this time. I think I realized what I was running from, and it wasn't you."

He raised an eyebrow, the unspoken question on his face.

She hesitated, then answered, "I gave up on relationships a while ago. I just end up hurting people, because my job is my life. I don't want that to happen to us."

Frank smiled at her and cupped her face tenderly, forcing her to look at him. "I know, I can understand that. But I can also promise you that I understand your life. I would never resent you for it like other people may have." He refrained from using Ned's name because he didn't want to be that petty, but he knew she would get what he was talking about.

She looked at him, almost uncharacteristically pleading. "Just promise me that you won't ever let it get that far. I need you to be honest with me."

"Just as long as you promise me the same thing. You may recall that my job is quite similar to yours, Drew."

He smiled at her, and she returned it. Simultaneously, they realized that they just might make this work after all.

Sliding his hand around to tangle in her hair, he pulled her to him, kissing her with all the promises he could manage.

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	22. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a box of Kroger Corn Flakes and a large bag of timothy hay. **

Epilogue

Several days later found Nancy, Frank, and Joe sitting in a small café in an airport terminal waiting for their flight to go back home.

"See, Frank? We've got over an hour to burn before our flight even boards. There was no need to wake me up at that heinous hour."

Nancy smirked. "Heinous?"

Frank rolled his eyes at his little brother in response. "If you had your way, you'd be waking up about now and probably missing your flight. You should be thanking me for not being all by yourself on a later flight."

Joe eyed Frank and Nancy who, while not touching, were sitting much closer than they had before the past few days. "I'm not sure that would have been a mistake."

"I'm sure you'll survive," Frank said drily. "Anyway, I want to hear how the case wrapped up. Nan?"

"Well, most of this you already know since you were the ones who figured out a lot of it." She shifted in her seat. The hard airport chairs were uncomfortable. And secretly, she was just as tired of waiting as Joe was, though she would never give him the satisfaction of agreeing with him out loud. "Marek would decide on a place, date and time for a bombing. That was pretty much the extent of his actual involvement, though we are treating him as the ringleader. He then would have Tom Marsh commission a bracelet in the code that you cracked, Frank."

She smiled at him and he blushed faintly in return. "You cracked it just as much as I did."

Joe stared at them for a second, then turned to the side and made gagging noises. Nancy grinned and smacked his arm. "Oh, stop it. Do you want me to finish the story?"

"Only if the two of you can manage it without undressing each other with your eyes."

Frank's face reddened even more. "Joe!"

He raised his hands in surrender and turned to Nancy. "Okay, I'm done. Please continue."

She shot Joe one last look. "The bracelets were entered into the show, where the thieves would steal them. Your dear old friend Gabrielle acted as a beacon for them."

Joe glowered at the name. "Yeah, _friend._"

"Her M necklace told each thief that she was on his side, and she pointed out the bracelet to be stolen to him. He then delivered it to the group that set up the bomb."

"What about Musafia? How involved was he?" Frank had been wondering about the older man since he realized he was part of it. What motivation could a man with a successful business have to risk it all for terrorism?

"He wasn't supposed to be part of it, originally. In the early planning stages he discovered that his daughter was up to something. They bribed him to stay silent with the stolen jewels. Also, he got insurance money for having something stolen."

"Just like Carlson said!" Frank exclaimed. That's what had been nagging at him. He felt like an eternal itch in his brain finally got scratched. "He mentioned that insurance money might be enough to motivate someone to be involved in such a scheme, but he didn't really believe it himself. I kept meaning to look into it, but then everything happened so fast."

"Yeah, Musafia was more than forthcoming with all of this information once he was put in a holding cell. The old man just couldn't handle it."

Joe shook his head. "What a sad, sad man. When will they learn? Until you feel ready to embrace jail, don't do illegal things."

Nancy chuckled. "I wouldn't hold your breath waiting."

There was still one piece that didn't fit in Frank's mind. "And Pinkston and Charlotte? What was their role?"

She fidgeted at the question. Technically, she had promised not to tell. But they were all leaving the country without any reason to speak with anyone about it, she rationalized. "They weren't involved with Marek, but they were involved… with each other."

"What?" Joe asked, surprised.

Frank actually didn't feel too shocked by the news. It made sense, now that the answers were laid out in front of him. "I told you that they were probably hiding something, even if it didn't relate to the case."

"Well, you were right. They don't want it getting out. Charlotte seemed very concerned with her reputation, which is a big shocker." Nancy sighed. "At least I don't have to deal with her nitpicking at me anymore."

"Oh, you were just about to get fired anyway and you know it."

This time she kicked the younger Hardy under the table. "Hey! I know no such thing."

Joe leaned down and rubbed his shin. "You're abusive. Frank, watch out for this one."

Smiling at Nancy, Frank said. "Don't worry, I intend to."

All thoughts of Joe's teasing left her mind as she lost herself in the affection she found on Frank's face.

"And with that, I'm out of here. Meet you at the gate." Joe chucked his empty paper cup into the garbage and walked away, clicking through his iPod as he went.

Frank watched his brother leave, then stood up. "We should probably start making our way over there, too. After all my nagging it'd be embarrassing if I was the one who missed the flight."

Nancy laughed and threw their own garbage away. "You're right, that would be embarrassing."

Frank held out his hand to her. "Shall we?"

She took it, finding comfort in the strong warmth. As they walked, she couldn't help but notice how he favored his left side.

"How much pain are you in, really?"

Frank couldn't tell her that the constant ache in his arm was driving him a little crazy, and the bandage was annoyingly bulky under his long-sleeve shirt. He didn't want her to worry about him, and he rarely saw much use in complaining anyway. "It's not too bad. They gave me pills to take."

Nancy knew for a fact that he hadn't taken any pills since at least early that morning. Scrutinizing his face, she suspected that he was in a lot more pain that he was willing to admit. She understood that he needed things to be normal to take his mind off of it, so she allowed him that and didn't push it. "Okay. Just let me know if you need anything. I don't mind."

His lips turned up into a smile. He wouldn't necessarily mind allowing Nancy Drew to play nursemaid to him, even if it meant admitting he was hurting. Maybe once they were settled on the plane…

"So you and Joe are heading home to Bayport?" Nancy's voice interrupted his thoughts. He was surprised to hear that she sounded a little sad. The average person wouldn't have noticed, but he knew her.

"Yeah, we'll leave you at JFK to catch your connecting flight to D.C. and Dad will pick us up there." He hesitated, then added, "If you don't have to go immediately back home you're welcome to stay with us for a few days."

Taken aback by his bold offer, Nancy didn't answer right away. It had been a long time since she'd been to visit the Hardy family. A small ache settled in her chest at the chance to see Fenton and Laura again. At one time in her life they had almost been second parents to her.

Frank misunderstood her hesitation. "But hey, it's no big deal. I understand that you're busy. You probably have a mountain of paperwork to fill out after this trip."

"Frank, I'd love to," she answered quickly. "There's nothing that I can't do over a secure internet connection, and I'm sure you can manage one of those."

He grinned at her. "I'll see what I can do. Are you sure?"

"No second guessing, not anymore. I know what I want this time, and that's to spend as much time with you as possible."

Looking at her seriously, he replied, "It might not be that much, at least for the next several months. Not saying I like it, but that's the reality of our lives. I'm not going to hold you back from your life."

She smiled reassuringly. "I know. The good news is that D.C. is closer to Bayport than Chicago. We'll make it work; I'm not worried about us." She noticed his skeptical look. "Well, I'm trying really hard not to be worried."

They stopped walking as they arrived at the gate and he wrapped his good arm around her. Leaning down, he murmured into her ear, "You have absolutely no reason to be worried. I finally got you, Nancy Drew, and I'm not about to let you get away. And you can't get rid of me either."

Nancy shivered involuntarily at the sensation of his breath brushing her ear. Turning into his embrace, she hugged him tightly. Moving her lips across the tan skin of his jaw, she whispered, "Is that a promise?"

Turning his head to brush her mouth with his, he spoke against her lips, "Definitely." He pressed his mouth harder in a searing kiss, burning away any lingering worries. Right as his tongue started brushing her lips, they were interrupted by a throat clearing loudly behind them.

"We're boarding now. Though I'm sure you wouldn't be so irresponsible as to miss your flight, right big brother?"

Frank pulled away from Nancy's arms reluctantly, clearing his own throat. "Sure, Joe."

Joe got on the plane while Frank and Nancy collected themselves and their things. The three of them had managed to reserve three spots together on a single row. Making their way down the aisle, Frank and Nancy stopped short when they reached number 17. Joe was sitting in the middle seat, smirking up at them.

"Joe, what are you doing?" Frank asked.

"I am being a good passenger and sitting in my assigned seat, 17B. Check your tickets."

Frank studied his and frowned. "17A."

"17C," Nancy echoed.

Joe was enjoying this immensely. "Ah, there is some justice in this world."

Frank chucked his bag at him, "Just move over already."

"I suppose I could break the rules just this once – which I hate doing, as you are well aware – but only if I get the window."

Nancy couldn't help but laugh at his antics. The flight certainly wouldn't be dull. She settled into the aisle seat next to Frank. He took her hand again, stroking her palm with his thumb. _No, definitely not dull_.

Just then, the flight attendant spoke over the intercom. "Welcome to flight 522 with nonstop service to New York. Sit back and enjoy the ride; it's the beginning of a beautiful day."

Turning to look at Frank, Nancy couldn't even begin to hold in the wide smile that bloomed across her face. Frank's expression mirrored hers, and she knew he was thinking the same thing. It really was a beautiful beginning.

THE END. (For now.)

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**Posting this is incredibly bittersweet. On one hand, It's so nice to have taken my first attempt at a story all the way to completion. On the other, I'm not entirely ready to let it go yet. I am still completely surprised and delighted by all the support I've received throughout this process. Each and every review has meant so much to me, and to those who have taken time to give me specific remarks I am doubly grateful.  
**

** I've been toying with the idea of writing a series of oneshots so I can keep playing with the characters. A new chapter story probably won't happen until next summer when I'd have time to write it. What do you think? Do you want more from my little Hardy/Drew world? Also, any requests for oneshot themes? I'm always open to ideas!**

**Again, thank you, truly, to all of you who have stuck with me and taken time to read!**

**Amy**


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